To Start with a Memory
by PadfootStripQuidditch
Summary: ON HOLD. A new student transfers to Hogwarts. Detentions and arguments are soon shared with Sirius Black, but when she accidentally releases something from deep within Hogwarts that uses her own dark past against her...can they stop it? SBOC RLOC JPLE
1. Marauder's Style

_A/N: This story has been in my head for nearly a year and I'm just now getting around to writing it._

_DISCLAIMER: I don't own any of the canon characters...damn! I do own the idea/plot of this story and a few OC that are in here._

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Chapter 1 - Marauder's Style**

James Potter and Sirius Black beamed at each other waiting for the sorting of the first years to be done with so they could go and put into action their first prank of their Sixth year. Remus Lupin found himself looking at them rather worriedly, not wanting to let them go about the travesty they were about to commit, but knowing he wasn't going to be able to stop them. As usual Dumbledore stood before the podium, starting up his annual speech.

"Welcome first years and welcome back older students. Congratulations to the houses for gaining more members, if you will. As some older students know...," at this the headmaster coughed, directing his eyes to the group of four boys sitting near the middle of the Gryffindor table. "That the Forbidden Forest is _forbidden_ so please keep out of it."

"Was he directing that comment to us?" Sirius asked raising an eyebrow chuckling.

"I believe so, Padfoot," James replied, a smile rising to his lips. "I think we'll have to get back at him for that."

Dumbledore continued on with his speech, but instead of telling the whole to go ahead and stuff their faces, he stepped out from behind the podium and spoke once more.

"On another note, after nearly three hundred years, we have a student who has transferred here to Hogwarts," Dumbledore paused listening to the mumbled conversations that had broken out.

"She is transferring from the Salem Witches' Institute which reside in the States to the---- ah there she is!"

The double doors gave way to show that a young girl---- no more than sixteen---- had stepped into the Great Hall soaking wet from head to toe, her short dress that she must have thought she was cute in, just as wet as she was. Giving her wand a wave she dried out immediately and began her way up the hall between the staring groups of tables.

"Sorry about that; just got your owl and Apparated as soon as possible," she smiled giving a chuckle as she reached the headmasters outstretched hands and embraced him in a hug.

"Completely forgot I couldn't on the grounds and ended up at Hogsmeade!" she said, laughing together with Dumbledore.

"What an idiot," James whispered critically; causing Peter Pettigrew to snort out a laugh. Remus tried to keep himself from rolling his eyes at his friends and continued to listen to the headmasters' explanation.

"Due to certain reasons, she has transferred here to join her follow sixth years! So if you will," he said this time, directing her to the stool that still sat before the podium. "We can get you sorted and everyone can tuck in!"

Taking the seat offered, she watched with a raised eyebrow, as Professor McGonagall placed the large, dirty looking, Sorting Hat upon her head; upon which its seams ripped open immediately spill out its words.

"AVRIL POTTER!" the hat suddenly shouted, laughing hardily. "Your brother James Potter I sorted; and was told I would sort you one day, but five years later and in the same year how queer!" the Sorting Hat said aloud.

At this sudden news, James' friends and many other people at the Gryffindor table turned to the aforementioned boy with questioning looks, only to find his face deformed in disgust and the purest loathing seeping from his eyes; no one was brave enough to ask, but Sirius let his question slip.

"You've got a sister?!" he demanded to know, his head swiveling back around to get a good look at her. "Why did I just notice it now; you two do look alike! Why didn't you tell me you had a sister, mate?!"

It was James' turn to raise his voice. "Because I don't!" he snapped.

"Well, obliviously you do! The proof is fifty feet away," Remus joined in, absent-mindedly looking at her and then to his friend.

"I don't!"

"You do, mate!" Sirius laughed. "When did this happen and who's the oldest?"

"When did it happen? She appeared right after the aliens abducted me!" James said sarcastically.

"Aliens?" Peter whimpered.

Remus joined in Sirius' uproarious laughter. "There's no such thing as aliens, Wormtail," Remus replied to disconfirm the pudgy boys' fears.

"Oh...good," Peter smiled weakly, not really believing his friend.

"Aliens? Aliens? Where did you come up with that one?!" Sirius continued his laughter.

As two of the four Marauders laughed at their friend's sudden confession of alien abduction, the Sorting Hat continued in its out spoken thoughts which were usually held within the students mind.

"Blocking your mind from me are you?" the ripped seams that formed the mouth of the hat asked.

"Well exactly who would want an inanimate object talking in their head? Only nutters that's who!" the girl known as Avril retorted to only hear the laughter of the hat.

"You definitely have the cunning to be in Slytherin...," at this the Gryffindor table broke out into bows and hisses, while the Slytherin table cheered just a loudly. "You've the wit for Ravenclaw, and you know where your loyalties lie; perfect for Hufflepuff, but your courage and sense of adventure outweigh the rest!"

"Isn't that bad?" Avril asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Not at all," said the Sorting Hat. "A hard one you are!"

Sirius gave a low chuckle. "The hard one is m---"

James' wand snapped into Sirius', tan face. "You finish that and I won't hesitate to hex you into oblivion!" his voice harsh and dangerously low.

Sirius put his hands up defensively. "You're the one that said you didn't have a sister."

"Just because I think my sister's a prat and a git doesn't mean you can start, finish, or think of any sentence with her in mind that has the words, hard on, woody, snog, or shag! Got it?!" snapped James, who only put his wand down when Sirius nodded his head in agreement.

"From a great line of Gryffindor's we have here!" the Sorting Hat continued still not entirely sure where to place the girl, but nevertheless sorting through her mind. "...GRYFFINDOR!"

The Gryffindor table broke out in cheers, whoops, and yells; Remus and Sirius leading them on.

James stayed seated; clapping mildly and cynically saying, "Whoopee fuckin' doo," doing circles with his finger in the air, showing his displeasure.

As soon as the Sorting Hat was removed and she stood; with a short wave of her wand her clothes changed to that of the Hogwarts uniform and Gryffindor colors, and made her way to the table down the Great Hall. Passing by her brother and his friends, very much to James' relief, without giving them a once over she took a seat next to someone that had their hand waving in gesture to join them. Leaning over the table a bit to see who it was; James felt his heart drop to see it had been---- Lily Evans---- that his prat of a sister had sat by. The two; who hugged as though they knew one another, sent a jolt a fear and anger running through him. That should be him hugging Evans, not that evil git!

"What are you lookin' at?" Sirius asked while he attempted to direct his eyes to where James' were, only to find Avril Potter and Lily Evans on the receiving end. Sirius stared a bit before standing and declaring he was going to introduce himself; upon which James snapped up, wanting to get his own answers. Like how the hell did that prat know Evans?

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"Great there come the gits," Lily Evans sighed, pushing her red hair over her shoulder to get it out of her eyes.

"Wha---," Avril interrupted from their conversation turned her head to see her older brother and one of his friends heading their way.

"Prepare yourself," Lily muttered.

Sirius wiggled himself onto the bench, pushing some fifth year over to make room for James, who took a seat, shooting daggers at his sister. Avril laughed, finding her brother rather amusing, but ignored the sudden presence and continued her conversation with Lily as though the two never had appeared.

"James never told me he has a sister," flashing her one of his best smiles, which gave into a right cornered smirk, Sirius continued. "So how old are you?"

"What did you do winter break? Did you have fun?" Avril asked, directing her questions to Lily; the two completely ignoring them.

"My family took me skiing. I can't ski for my life, nearly ended up against a tree!" Lily laughed, causing Avril to as well.

"I can just see you know, splattered against the tree," replied Avril, who put up her hands and imitated being pressed against something. "Eeeeeeeeccckkk," she slid her face down the imaginary wall.

"Yeah sanity is definitely in question here," laughed Sirius, who got James to chuckle.

Still being ignored, James looked like he was about to blow a gasket. "So, do your new friends know you're a vampire?" This time Avril's blue eyes shot her brother a glare that would have made Snape proud. "You know, you being a life sucking parasite and all."

Lily looked absolutely livid, and her voice dropped while she leaned towards James. "You're the parasite! This is why I'd never go out with you if you were the last man on Earth!" She snapped.

James seemed to deflate, but Sirius pressed on. "The name's Sirius Black! How about you tell me about yourself? I already know that you've no sanity what-so-ever...," Sirius played out his fingers listing off things he knew.

Suddenly Avril looked to him and James with an astonished look on her face. "Oh my god; Lily why didn't you tell me cockroaches could talk here at Hogwarts! I wouldn't have come!"

"I was afraid if I told you, you'd leave me here with 'em. They're rather frightening!" Lily and Avril roared into fits of giggles before they stood and left the Great Hall still laughing.

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"She called us cockroaches?!" James raged on, once in the common room. Lily and Avril had already gone to bed by the time the four made their way up the moving stairs. "She's the parasite!!"

Sirius laughed watching his friend raging around the room, causing some first years to stare at him precariously. "Don't worry it's his time of the month."

The first year looked rather assaulted, and bolted away from them, her books almost spilling across the floor.

"I don't think I've heard that one yet," Remus smiled, settling himself down into one of the overstuffed chairs in front of the fireplace; in the Gryffindor Tower with his potions book. "Wish I could have seen your faces."

"...It's time for a little pay back!" James declared after some thought.

Sirius perked up and stood as still as a dog. "Marauder's style?"

"Marauder's style!"

"Don't count me in," Remus responded suddenly.

James and Sirius rained down upon him. "You're comin' Moony! If we've gotta drag you kickin' and screamin'!"

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A/N: Sorry it's kinda slow. It'll pick up once I get past the formalities. Which believe it or not, there are. Lol. I know some of you are like. "Wait you can't Apparate legally until your 17!", but there is an explanation behind that and her magic use to come up in later chapters._

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_Ignore this, this is not a bitching to my readers or reviewers. I love you guys! This is a rant to a particular person. Grrrr!!!!__  
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_I'll try to keep James and the others as canon as possible. It's rather hard to at their age in the story because we don't know much about them, except for Sirius and Remus when they were older. People piss me off when they assume to know how the canon characters are suppost to act at this age and tell me I've written them out of character, just reading the 1st chapter. I'd like to say:_

_1. Did you write the orginal? No, so don't assume to know how their teenageselfs would act in canon. We've one chapter to work off of, so sod off._

_I know some people are not going to read the whole chapter before reviewing and bitching along the lines of "Rowling stated that the are no transfer students and no American's would attend Hogwarts." (grrrrrr) Nothing more than that pisses me off. _

_ 1. Avril is **not **an American you fuckin prat! She's British and if you'd have read the rest your small, feeble mind would have picked that up, but no --- it seems that it's to small to comprehend that._

_2. I know Dumbledore does act a bit out of his regular character, but there is a reason for that and why he's a bit soft for Avril. (hint: later chapters explain)_

_Okay I'm done. Sorry you had to witness that.  
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	2. This could be the beginning

**Pretty good for me! The second chapter up in only 24 hours! I did have fun doing this chapter, but got tired down the line so it maybe lacking.**

**I don't own any of the characters...except Avril. I do own the idea/plot of this story and a few other OC that are in here. Otherwise let me know what you think.**

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_**Chapter 2: This could be the beginning of a beautiful relationship**_

Eventually everyone who had been left in the common room by the time midnight rolled around, where taken by the need to sleep, except for four teens who were keeping up the appearance that they were studying, lounging around the fireplace as if nothing were more important. When the last Gryffindor clambered up the dormitory stairs the boys leapt into action with the exception of Remus who kept in his comfy chair.

Remus spoke dryly upon seeing his friends haughty looks. "I don't know how you expect me to get up the stairs. I'm not an animagus, so unless you want the screams and stair-slid then I'll be staying here."

"He's right you know." Peter piped up, wringing his hands together.

James seemingly rather annoyed at the brief indication, finally shrugged his shoulder and changed into his animagus form of a Stag, waiting for Sirius to tie the bundle of their next prank on to his back so he could carry it up the stairs. Trying to make his way up without much noise from his hooves, found it rather hard and was stopping every few steps to listen if anyone was coming.

Sirius smirked. "Be our look out then! C'mon Wormtail!" Without much concentration Sirius' form dropped in height to reveal a large bear like, black coated dog who gave a snort before leaping after James', Wormtail soon following suit.

"Why do I have the feeling they're going to regret this and whined up with me being apart of it." Remus asked no one in particular considering no one was there and he laughed. "Talking to myself is not a good sign. Sirius is rubbing off on me!"

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James had been too anxious to sleep and ended up staying up all night thinking of the look on his sisters face and the looks of the other houses when she went to the Great Hall. Sirius watched his friend from across the table at breakfast, listening to him snicker to himself with a worried look.

"Are you okay?" asked Sirius cocking an eyebrow, but looking to Remus who looked at James.

"I just can't wait for---"

Laughter burst out abruptly across the hall as a girl came walking in, dressed from head to toe to look like a cockroach. Feelers sprouting from her head and cockroach like shell upon her back as she approached the Gryffindor table, stopping directly in front of James. All four began to turn pale, eyes growing larger by the minute it as Lily's face came into view.

"Oh shit." was all that could leave Remus' mouth before the redhead broke out into fits of cusses.

"Which one of you fucktards did this!!" She screamed gathering the attention of the teachers that were at the large table in the very front of the Hall.

"Merlin's Beard!" Dumbledore retorted rather startled by Evans appearance.

"Oh, Lord." Professor McGonagall said rolling her eyes.

Sirius snapped back. "What makes you think it was us?!"

Lily throw him a dirty look that she had perfected over time to throw at James, but found it useful for anyone she disliked.

"It could be the fuckin' provided by The Marauders sign on my back you asshat!"

Sirius jumped up. "Who're you callin' an asshat!"

"You, you cheeky arse!" Lily snapped back.

James getting paler by the moment, tried to stammer out anything that might help the situation, when he spotted his sister coming through the doors of the Great Hall, looking completely satisfied with herself, nothing out of the ordinary about her. Her black hair still the length it was, brushing itself against her thighs and unnatural blue eyes just as piercing. Upon spotting her, James jumped up and rounded his wand on her.

"You! I know we put it on you!" slapping his hand over his mouth quickly, having forgotten Lily was there, he found her descending on him.

"YOU? YOU? I SHOULD HAVE KNOW JAMES POTTER! YOU SCUM OF THE EARTH, I AM GOING TO KNOCK YOU ARSE OVER ELBOW!!!" Evans roared, reaching out to throttle him across the table, pushing Sirius and Peter out of the way.

"Miss Evans!" McGonagall yelled, several surprised that she was already upon them, yanking Lily hands off from around James' neck.

Avril was soon to her friends aid, her wand at the ready. "Tell me anytime Lil and I'll hex 'em!" a smile filling her pale, elegant features that came to her unnaturally, by means unknown for they sure as hell weren't given to her by her parents. At least in Sirius' thoughts, but since when did what he thinks matter?

It was McGonagall's turn to yell, pulling out her own wand. "MISS POTTER PUT YOUR WAND AWAY AT ONCE! EVANS IF YOU DON'T---"

But it was too late, Lily had pulled her own out and both girls were letting off a series of hex's and jinxes .

"Expelliarmus!" Lily yelled, the spell missing its target as he ducked, bouncing off the stone wall. Remus taking out his wand only in the need that one of the spells might come flying his way, he got down and crawled out of the way, like many people did that morning at not only the Gryffindor table, but the other house tables as well.

Hex's and jinxes flew and bounced off the walls in blues and greens, catching some poor students that hadn't gotten out of the way in time. Some falling down under the leg locking curse and others simply having leeks grow out of their ears by a stray Leek Hex.

A sudden yank at James robes brought him down to the floor just missing one of the girls hex's. Sirius and James standing together crying out their own hex, but too slow as they were hit with a speechless Impedimenta charm. The two moving in such slow motion the girls broke out into fits of laughter that McGonagall took the chance to disarm all of them with a simple Expelliarmus. Their wands flying some feet from them.

"Finite Incantatum." Dumbledore's voice calm as he released Sirius and James from the Impedimenta charm, and the cockroach outfit suck to Lily by a sticking charm, hitting the floor. The small words ending any current spells, releasing many of the poor students caught in the in between of the battle. Making his way down the hall, observing the damage that the four had created he sighed, lifting up one of the benches that had broken and dusted it off, setting it down.

"I think two months of after school detention will suffice."

"What?!" the four cried out in unison starting to blame the other two.

Dumbledore held up his hand and silence fell once again. "Twenty-points each from Gryffindor..." he said, not waiting to hear them cry out in protest. "but ten-points for Miss Potter for wonderful show of chivalry for coming to her friends defence and another ten for her use of a very hard non-verbal Impedimenta charm."

McGonagall's jaw dropped and a 'What the Fuck' spread across her face; it might as well have been in bright blinking neon lights about her head, because Dumbledore dared not look at her, but instead chose to ignore her.

"Fifteen-points to Mister Potter and Mister Black for a good costume, but 5-points from Gryffindor for using a Sticking Charm to attach it to Miss Evans and another fifteen to the house for a wonderful Leek Hex from Miss Evans. Wonderful battle fought, but please announce your Wizarding Dual's before hand so as we may get out of the way." Dumbledore smiled softly, the four of them reminding him of himself when he was their age.

McGonagall must have collected herself by then, seeing that she barked out the time and place they would be meeting each night and that they had better bring something to do since they would be there for longer then they had hoped.

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Forcing them to sit at completely different ends of the table as far away from each other as possible McGonagall handed off their scheduling for the year.

"SWEET! Muggle Studies!" Avril's voice ringing out abruptly, making James boil at just the sound of it. "Easy grade, easy grade, does a dance, does a dance." Lily laughed at her friends odd behavior, when a young girl in the Gryffindor colors, looking sixteen herself came to sit beside them.

"So loud, so early in the morning!" Morgan Lee said taking a seat, stuffing a piece of toast in her mouth. "You know I was passing by the little boys table and caught a glimpse of Blacks classes. Looks like you might have Muggle Studies with him."

Avril cried out. "What?! You've got to be kidding me!"

"I said maybe. Maybe you've got it at different times." Morgan replied, brushing her brown hair out of her face.

"Have you ever known Hogwarts to have the same class at two separate, different times the same day for the same students in the same year?" Lily inquired raising her eyebrow, her green eyes catching the suns early light.

"Well you can always hope." Morgan shrugged, smothering jam onto her other piece of burnt looking toast. "Well it's your fault for taking the elective."

"Oh shut up! I at least I know the idiot won't have Arithmancy with me. The two tards are too stupid to even attempt to apply for it!"

Lily snatched up her friends class scheduling and gave it a look over.

"Defence Against the Dark Arts, Transfiguration, Herbology, Charms, and Potions?" her eyebrow raised slightly at this. "What are you aiming for?"

The black haired girl answered simply in one word. "Auror."

Morgan piped up this time. "So why take Arithmancy? You seemed happy about Muggle Studies and its easy grade. So why not something easier then Arithmancy?"

Avril spread butter across her toast, along with a good helping of grape jam and took large a bite before answering. "The belief that number patterns existing in real life, that can be calculated to give information regarding the future is rather interesting is all." She said shrugging her shoulders. "Besides who wants to climb up a latter every week to Divination and read tea leaves and crystal balls? I've no need to construct my horoscope through such simple mediums."

The two friends sat there briefly before bursting into laughter.

"Interesting?! Look at you trying to be smart!" Morgan choked through her giggles.

Lily bite back her laughs. "Well I think that grand! I'm taking Study of Ancient Runes and find that it would be much more interesting then tea leaves and horoscopes!"

Avril rolled her eyes as her head shook. "The people I'm friends with." She mumbled.

Morgan stifled her laughter briefly enough to argue that they weren't the crazy retards that she had met at the beginning of Summer break.

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**Sorry there! It's 3 1/2 pages long! Geez! Well I hope you liked this one! I do have good pranks to pop up that my good friend Souls suggested and found them rather good so I'll be writing up the next chapter later today when I get the chance. Tell me if you hate it or not! Review, review, review and you shall be answered!**


	3. Feeling a bit Lucky

_**Thanks to potte.red. for reviewing and getting me moving! I promise to work on my Potter fandom facts and get them correct! Lol. Well I'll try to shorten this chapter up considering the last one was 3 1/2 pages in word. shakes head I got carried away. So...**_

_**I don't own any of the characters except Avril Potter and Morgan Lee. And some other few that might crop up.**_

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_**Chapter 3: Feeling a bit Lucky (part 1)**_

There seemed to be more then a good handful of people that had obtained the required passing grade to take Potions N.E.W.T. level and Remus Lupin, Lily Evans and Avril Potter were three out of the dozen, a good portion of them Slytherins that included Severus Snape, while the rest revealed to be three Ravenclaws and two Hufflepuffs. Nevertheless all the houses were represented in the class and Avril found herself keeping her distance from her brothers friend, despite the fact that the sandy haired boy seemed more mannered then the two he hung out with.

"Double Potions today my young learners!" a voice said in a sing song tone as a large, portly fellow came out from behind the desk. "I am Professor Slughorn!"

With this the class began to take their places in front of their cauldrons, Lily standing beside Avril on her right as Remus took a place on her left side.

"Hope you don't mind." He weakly smiled not sure because of his friends actions if she would like him in the least, let alone stand him being next to her.

Avril surveyed him with suspicious eyes unsure whether his kindness and smile were all an act or not until her friend, catching her hesitation spoke up on his behalf.

"He's a good guy." Lily smiled over at Remus who gave a chuckle. "He just chose the wrong people to hang out with."

Remus smiled softly at her comment, but chose to say nothing in reply.

"Well not all good guys are good guys." Avril retorted in response, trying to keep a smile from her lips, but failing miserably.

Remus laughed. "Yes I'm just as perverted as Sirius." His fingers moving in groping motions, forced a laugh out of Lily and Avril as Slughorn raised his hand to quiet the class.

"Today I'd like you to brew me a Wolfsbane Potion today! A dear friend of mine had the misfortune of being bitten and contracting the Lycanthrope disease." Slughorn shook his head softly at this.

Remus seemed to stiffen up at bit at the news. "Do they know who did it, Sir?" he asked

Slughorn gave a short way of his hand. "Of coarse they don't! The Ministry never seems to know." Slughorn smiled softly, his slightly greying ginger, walrus-like moustache curling upward, made Avril wonder if it was tickling his nose, but apparently not bothering him as he pushed forward.

"Now Wolfsbane if taken periodically during the week leading up to the full moon, it allows a werewolf to retain his or her mindset and sanity, when he or she transforms into a werewolf during the full moon. It is described as a foul-tasting potion so don't add sugar because it makes it absolutely useless. First to complete it gets a little something special!"

Slughorn waved a small crystal vile of a molten gold color, bubbling and swirling inside.

"Ten points if you can tell me what it is." the Professor questioned, his eyebrows raising.

"Felix Felicis." Lily spoke out of turn, looking cheerful.

"Very good Miss Evans! Can you tell me what it does?"

"Felix Felicis is a potion that makes the user incredibly lucky." Lily now looked rather aggravated at such a simple question.

"Indeed! Very good for the adventurer!" Slughorn winked, his laughter booming.

"Y--e--a--h..." Lily mumbled drawing out the word slowly.

Slughorn quickly clapped his hands. "Well then get started! It should be a nice light silver with a bit of blue color when you're done!"

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There was less then fifteen minutes left when Slughorn began walking around poking his nose into the cauldrons, shaking his head disapprovingly, every once in awhile stopping to tell someone that their dark grey colored concoction was no where near where it should be by then.

Avril peeked over to Remus' cauldron seeing that it was turning the correct light silver and watched as he added another ingredient that added the slight hint of blue color required and frowned as she peeked over to her right to see that Lily's mix was the same correct color as well. Staring down to her own seeing it the same as the other two she frowned harder.

_"They may want that Felix Felicis , but so do I. I could use it in a tight situation!" S_he thought to herself. Abruptly getting an idea she rounded towards the cabinet on the right side of the room that hugged the wall. Plucking through a few ingredients she returned to to her cauldron and began chopping up something that drew the attention of Lily, who looked at the ginger root her friend was smashing, forcing her to check her own book and stare back. By then Slughorn had reached their table watching with enthusiasm as Avril poured in some other choose ingredients that also included beetles, ginger root, and bile; green smoke puffing up briefly before it cleared showing it to still be light silver in color but with a soft tint of green instead.

"My, my!!" Slughorn clapped his hands together. His lips breaking into a wide smile that reminded Avril of her Godfather. "You mixed them quiet well! Very cheeky, very cheeky indeed!"

By this the small class of only a dozen students were looking in her direction, Lily looking absolutely confounded and annoyed as did Remus, though he was better at hiding it then the opposite.

"Mixed what well?" Lily demanded. "Hers is tinted green! Not the blue it should be!"

Slughorn simply laughed, brushing off Lily's annoyance and anger.

"It is the Wolfsbane I asked for, but with a twist! She also made a Wit-Sharpening potion and combined them by simply smashing the ginger root and beetles rather then just chopping it!" Slughorn said matter-of-factly. "Though Wolfsbane helps retain his or her mindset and sanity when the change is complete from human to werewolf it has to be taken periodically during the week leading up to the full moon, but the Wit-Sharpening potion sharpens your mind the instant you take it! If combined correctly the poor man or woman would only have to take it minutes prior to transformation!"

"I don't get it." one of the Ravenclaws retorted. Avril thought his name was Dirk Cresswell, but could have been wrong.

Slughorn smiled, happy to answer. "The Wolfsbane is slow to take to the system thusly it has to be taken over the week prior to the transformation, but because Wit-Sharpening potion takes--" at this Slughorn made a fist, "the instant you take it, that alone in its property allows the Wolfsbane to take just as fast, but with a kick! Not only would you retain your human mindset, though I imagine you would be wrought with fear and your judgment might be clouded if it was only the Wolfsbane you took, your mind is also sharpened so you are not only able to think like you normally, but with a clear and level head. One just might know how to change themselves back to their human form with a complex spell that you wouldn't be able to do under the Wolfsbane alone." Slughorn winked at the reference he made to the spell, but said nothing else on the matter.

"I do believe we have a winner!" Slughorn said, smiling as he handed her the small vile of golden color at the same time pulling out several empty vile's and with a wave of his wand filling and corking them each with some of the contents from the cauldron. "This will do quiet well for my poor friend."

Avril quickly pocketed the golden colored crystal vile, trying to keep her smile to herself and thinking of how lucky she was that the portly Potions Master had the ingredients, when Remus interrupted her thoughts.

"Would you mind if I grabbed a vile of that?"

"What--?" her eyebrows quirked

"Just to study, you know." Remus smiled brightly. Avril nodded her head, her eyes catching sight of his mouth, realizing that the Sandy haired youth had a lop-sided smile that sent a streak of happiness right up her alley as thoughts of smashing their lips together in some dark hidden corridor leapt to the forefront of her mind.

_"What the hell am I thinking!!??"_ Her inner voice screamed as she shook the thoughts of dark hallways and kissing out of her head._ "AH! What am I imagining!"_

"Now please remember Miss Potter that Felix Felicis is banned in organized activities such as sporting events and examinations." Slughorn abruptly said his back to the class as they were packing up their things.

"Of coarse she will Professor." Lily smiled sweetly, having noticed Avril was in lala daydream land, her blue eyes fixed on Remus' figure, slightly glazed over as he filled one of his larger vile's with the potion that had won her blue eyed friend the Felix Felicis.

Remus' eyes smiled as he did with a look of appreciation. "Thanks!"

Avril snapped out of her daydream. "No problem!"

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_**I am in no way responsible for what I incoherently babble about potions!!! Lol sticks tongue out Kept this chapter short like I said I would. Part 2 of Feeling Lucky will appear but later down the line. Tell me what you think!**_

_**Review, review, review and you shall be answered!**_


	4. You Can Make a Plastic Bag Space Helmet

_A/N: I don't own any of the characters except Avril Potter and Morgan Lee. And some other few that might crop up._

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Chapter 4 - You Can Make a Plastic Bag Space Helmet**

Positive that James was drilling holes in the back of her head as she headed for Defense Against the Dark Arts on her own, she found herself frowning, seeing that the seating was two a desk rather then single seating as she entered.

"I'm still trying to figure out how it could be that I'm cursed to have her as sister, as opposed to some sweet girl that I would be proud to have as a sibling. Instead I'm stuck with the spawn of Satan!" James spat waving his hands in the air madly; Remus and Sirius ducking out of harm's way.

"Tell me about it! I was up with Madame Pomfrey all breakfast getting the damn leeks out of my ears your sister prompted your wanna-be-girlfriend to cast!" Sirius barked, digging his finger into his ear as though the leeks were still pouring out.

Remus laughed, shaking his head while Peter tried to stifle his own laughter.

"Well; I've got a break this period so I'll see you guys at dinner," Peter said smiling, giving a short wave.

"Lucky bastard!" James called out after his pudgy friend before entering into the classroom.

Avril took an empty seat about three rows back from the front, which surprisingly enough the first two were already filled with several Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs that had been accepted into the class, but she was quickly beginning to wonder if the teacher would care if she fell asleep because of the closeness of her proximity. Someone suddenly took the conjoining seat next to her, settling their things on the shared desk.

"Hello," Remus smiled softly, his eyes smiling as well. If he ever tried to fake a smile, it would be easy to tell the difference between the two. Avril's head rolled on her shoulders to look up to him while he seemed to tower over her own seated figure, her eyes glossed over not from sudden daydreaming, but purely lack and need of sleep brought on by her previous class.

Taking his seat Remus laughed seeing the vacant expression on her face. "Let me guess, History of Magic?"

"Arithmancy," she practically whispered, her voice softer then before caused Remus to wear a worried expression.

"That bad?" he asked, plunging through his bag for his quill and ink; placing the in question items on the table. Opening her mouth to answer, she paused briefly as though deciding something better to say before opening her mouth once more to speak, but stopping yet again.

"I take that as a 'Yes'," he chuckled.

"Oi! Moony what're you doin' sittin' with the enemy?!" Sirius demanded, his fingers clinching around his wand hidden within his robes.

"I like sitting close to the front and this was the only seat left," Remus retorted, eyeing Sirius' hand that had disappeared into his robes only seconds ago. Avril rather surprised by his words, positive that the other seats around her row had been quite vacant, looked around, and found they actually weren't. When did that happen?

"I guess. Whatever," James said, taking the conjoined seats directly behind them.

"I think I'm going to be sick if I have to look at the back of her head every Monday before dinner," Sirius retorted, imitating throwing up violently; his hands wrapping around his throat.

Resting her face in her hand, Avril chuckled. "Maybe I'll get lucky and you'll drown in your own bile."

Remus and James both found themselves laughing, trying quickly to stop themselves when their friend shot them dirty looks that promised pain upon death.

"I guess I'm not that lucky though...," she paused with a warm smile of hope on her pale features."Luck really isn't on my side is it James? You'd know all about that though wouldn't you?" Her head turned to catch his sight briefly before the teacher interrupted the blatant talking that had broken out in the room.

"I am Professor Merrythought and this is Defense Against the Dark Arts N.E.W.T level," an older looking Witch said from a front the class, walking around to the back of her desk. "For your first assignment I'd like you to create a spell for me. Whether it is a jinx or hex is up to you, but only that kind please. I'd like to see the use of it and the counter for it as well as to see if you can cast your new spell non-verbally. In addition, I require a twelve-inch essay on the properties of your spell, how it can be effectively cast and countered. I know this is not going to be easy, but this is not an easy class. You've two weeks to complete this assignment." Fixing the glasses upon her face she smiled brightly, which in Avril's opinion only made her more frightening, and touched the top of the wooded desk with slender fingers that bore several large, elegant looking rings.

"You will be graded on your creativity; so that means no basing it off of any other spell heard or lack there of." There were several loud protests and grumbling from most of the class.

"For this instant please no wands. Only think of what you'd like your spell to do." With a sudden wave of her wand all the desks, quills and other objects turned into green chocolate mint ice-cream. The class broke out into laughter; many poking their fingers into the ice cream for a taste to find that it really was indeed what it looked to be.

Merrythought gave a small chuckle as she said, "You can tell I was thinking of ice-cream the day I created the spell, just to find an easier way to get some rather then going out to buy it. Now," more laughter broke out, "if you will please begin." With another wave the classroom returned to normal, very much in tact despite people who had taken handfuls of the cold sweet and ate it.

"I reckon this is going to take me awhile," Remus sighed, unrolling a piece of parchment. "If it's going to take me awhile it'll take the other two ages to riddle out." Giving a small smile, Avril laid her head down on her folded arms, closing her eyes for but a minute when she suddenly felt someone shaking her, and her head snapped up.

"Class is over," Remus said, his face coming into view.

"I guess the Professor wasn't too happy with me sleeping," Avril replied standing and shoving her things back into her bag, sure that she had red outlines on her cheek from wrinkles in her robe as Remus seemed to be trying not to laugh.

"Not at first, but when I told her you had Arithmancy before this she didn't seem to mind. I think she even said she'd fall asleep too!" The two fellow Gryffindor's laughed when abruply Sirius blurted into their conversation.

"When you two are done flirting, can we go Moony?"

Remus rolled his eyes and Avril shot the black haired, male youth a dirty look. "Flirting is like having good taste, Black. You wouldn't know it if it slapped you in the mouth."

Sirius' eyebrows rose. "I reckon you've set aside this special time to humiliate yourself in public."

Avril closed her eyes and begged Merlin for his wisdom and strength, especially his strength when it came to Black.

The youngest Potter smiled sweetly. "You're such a dog, Black. If I throw a stick, will you leave?" she asked.

"I don't know what your problem is, but I'll bet it's hard to pronounce," Sirius laughed, getting James and a few others that were still behind in the classroom to chortle.

Avril laughed herself. "Oh, my, that must have taken a lot of thought! Don't think too much, or you'll void your warranty Black!" This time Lily and Morgan could be heard laughing as they were standing outside the classroom waiting for their friend.

"Evans!" James said, running his fingers through his hair in a sad attempt to make it look windswept and Avril heard Severus Snape snort. "What're you doing down here? You wouldn't happen to be waiting for me would you?"

Lily looked as though she would become violently ill at the mere thought. "Yeah, how about never; is never good for you?"

James deflated like he normally seemed do when Lily shot him down earlier that day and he appeared no longer up to insulting his sister and huffed, tossing his bag onto his shoulder. "C'mon Sirius she isn't worth it. Let's just go I'm starving."

Peter popped his head in suddenly, his hair a bit mussed. "You guys weren't in the Great Hall and you two are usually the first ones down there, so..."

Remus quickly joined in with James. "Yeah let's eat," he said trying to pull his friend out of the DADA classroom and into the hall that was quickly filling with students, but Sirius rounded on Avril who shortly followed with Morgan and Lily who were whispering to each other.

"You know what Potter----," he snapped, directing the surname to his friends' sister. "Your life reads like a rejected children's book title...Unwanted Child for Sale." A very stunned Sirius was abruptly put in his place when a quick intimate manner left red marks on his face.

"You git!" Morgan snapped very much to the others surprise, and a small cry rose out from Lily at her friend's sudden aggressive anger.

Avril seemed frozen to the spot, unable to say anything that might be witty or smart in the line of a comeback or a simple brush off as his words stung her more deeply then anyone could have realized. Her blue eyes became dull suddenly and sad with the realization that her older brother had let the beans spill about her messed up childhood and that everyone knew what she truly was. This was something she couldn't take; she wouldn't be able handle their accusing stares if problems cropped up or the questioning looks that Remus, Peter, and Lily were giving her or that of the many complete strangers that had stopped in the hallway to listen. Water began to well in her eyes ever so softly before spilling over unknowingly to their own.

James shoved his friend hard, his anger at its boiling point. "You damn prat!"

Sirius grumbled something under this breath and sighed heavily. "It just slipped out. I didn't...," before Sirius could say much more; Avril in her stunned silence left, dodging through people, her black hair trailing behind her and that soon as well disappeared from sight.

"Thank you! Tell me, did you mother teach you how to make a plastic bag space helmet? 'Cause you sure are lacking the brain cells from insufficient air!" Morgan yelled shoving him out of the way, as she gave chase after her friend. James watched as his sisters' friend chased after her through the crowd, Lily still beside them looking rather shocked at the whole mess.

"What was that about? I mean why did Morgan slap Sirius? Why…," Lily stammered

"Forget it!" James snapped. "It's not mine to tell and it sure as hell wasn't Sirius' to blurt out!" James stocked off, heaving his bag over his shoulder that had begun to slip.

"What…?" Lily mumbled as Remus, Peter, and Sirius followed after their friend.

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A/N: Yeah another short chapter. The next one is going to explain about what just happened so you aren't lost if reading this! I'd have to say the pranks won't happen until the 6th chapter and 7th chapter, though after that it's more adventure then anything. I wish I could put more then two genres!_


	5. You Are Different and That’s Bad

_A/N: I'm not gonna do a disclaimer because you all know I own Harry Potter in my mind, but not in real life—damn! R&R please!_

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Chapter 5 – You Are Different and That's Bad**

James refused to talk to Sirius at all through dinner, but rather demand the salt or pepper that would be by Sirius from Remus or Peter who took it to be best to oblige; Avril, Morgan nor Lily showing up. Just as Remus was wondering if she was okay, her face came into view rather close as she snatched in a seat by Peter who was across from the other three Marauders'. Lily, Morgan and another girl with white hair pulled back into a low ponytail took a seat as well. Remus thought her name might have been Hayden Fredericks, but could have been wrong.

Avril leaned across the table, her eyes scathing. "Since my twit of a brother decided a _Black _was worth telling my affliction to…"

"_A Black_, what the hell is that supposta mean?" Sirius demanded, his fork twitching in his hand.

"Shut up," James growled lowly at his friend. Sirius looked astonished by James' reaction and smashed his fork into the table.

Avril continued as though Sirius didn't exist. "…Did you happen to tell him how it happened? Or did you conveniently leave that out, _brother_…," her voice seeped hatred, as it seemed to have venom stung into it.

James stared at something interesting on the table, his hands clasps together in his lap.

"Of coarse not. You wouldn't want your best mates knowing that it was you the caused me to be this way. To have this…," she shuddered, "_disease_!"

Remus himself gave an involuntary shudder. The feeling she was about to say something very close to his own secret or most definitely his own 'disease' had brought it forth. Lily still reeling a bit from the news she had received upstairs in their dorms, still didn't push out the fact that her friends own brother had thought it best to divulge that sort of personal family business to his close friend, who would no doubt have used it against her.

"About how when I was only eight and you were nine and you decided despite our parents warnings to brake the wards on the house and take me with you to go looking for…," she paused putting her finger to her lips, "what was that again? …Oh I know Vampires! A nasty group of 'em that had been killing and turning some people on the outskirts of villages, but then again who would have known that ours was next…well mum did say the Auror had been informed they would, but hey!" she shrugged her shoulders sarcastically.

_"James I don't think we should be…," an eight-year-old Avril mumbled, holding onto her then nine year old brothers' hand. _

_"It'll be alright. I'm here ain't I?" James retorted, pulling his sister along. He wouldn't have brought her along, if he himself weren't scared to be alone. _

_"But, mum said we shouldn't be out. What if something happens?" she asked, her black hair long even then trailed down her back, as a limp and worn looking stuffed, purple bunny was hugged close to her form. _

_"Nothing is gonna happen!" James said, getting annoyed with his younger sister. _

_"How did you get the stuff down anyway? I mean mum's magic is strong and even dad helped!" Avril asked, her hand tightening around James' as she looked around nervously. _

_"Easy. I just paid attention when they let 'em down to leave. Easy enough if you take one of their wands," James smiled proud of himself, proud that he had the nerve to take his fathers wand and replace it back in its spot before leaving, for being able to break the wards and to get out without them knowing. _

_"But…," Avril began, as they snuck up the street towards the end of the village. _

_"I just wanna see if there are really gonna be any here tonight like they said. Mum said the the Aurors were gonna set up a trap, I wanna watch it!" once again Avril was about to interject when they heard voices coming from off to their right. James quickly pulled his sister along side him and hunched down into the brush only a few steps out from the clearing at the very edge of town. _

_"It has to be the Aurors!" James said, with a hint of glee in his eyes, "Stay here I'm gonna get a better look!" _

_Quickly the boy was up, hunched over, scuttling his way towards the voices and out of his sisters line of sight. _

_"James!" she whispered. "James, come back!" _

_It was what felt like hours to Avril since her brother disappeared, though it had truly been half-an-hour, Avril still wondered if something had happened and she snuggled her bunny closer when suddenly a noise behind her caused the little girl to let out a cry turning to see a pale man in the moonlight. His blonde hair cut short and styled similar to her teenage cousins, the front of it sticking up like he had just gotten off of his broom. _

_Holding her bunny closer Avril gave out a small whimper fearing who the man was. Eyes scanned for a wand in his hand or the badge of the Auror, but found neither and the fear hit her stronger. _

_"You shouldn't be so scared…," he trailed off, his voice soothing to the ears. "I can smell it." _

_Warning bells rang in the little girls mind and she scrambled to her feet; green nightdress straggling behind her while she ran as fast as her eight-year-old legs could carry her, but it wasn't fast enough. The strangers strength greater then her own, she watched as the ground disappeared out from under her. All she could do was let out a howling scream before pain seared through her and she felt as though her body would melt and come to an end. Unexpected warmth spilled over her lips, the taste bitter, but soon traveled down her throat by force; it not long before she sucked and pulled in the unfamiliar drink with unrestrained joy. The drink ripped from her, she found herself mad at the thought and heard a chuckle. _

_"You're quite beautiful. I can only imagine how you'll look when you're of age," the voice still soothing. Abruptly noise of other people who seemed to be approaching at a fast rate startled the owner of the voice. "Seems I'll have to leave you here. What a shame...flames to dust, lovers to friends, why do all good things come to an end?" _

_The mans foot steps disappeared and more pain ripped through the little girl as she screamed out unable to stand it as she felt herself die. Her body locked and went ridged, all the while her legs and arms jerking in short grasps threateningly into the air and digging into the loose soil about her from the shortly lived struggle. Her heart slammed against her rib cage repeatedly in short bursts, fighting for life, fighting to live ------ and she was still.  
_

_"Lynn!" James screamed scrambling to his sister seemingly lifeless body, pulling her into his arms. "I'm sorry, I forgot you were with me! I'm so sorry! Lynn look at me! Avrilynn?!" _

_More voice erupted into her ears as her own agony abruptly continued where it left off. Her eyes seared with pain feeling as though they might buldge and spill right out of their sockets and her jaw locked under her muffled, feeble screams at the same time as teeth ripped and grew a bit in length.  
_

_"Oh my god!" someone gasped _

_"She's been bitten. She's changing," a scruffier voice growled. "Damnit!" _

_"She's the Potter's girl," a female voice called out from the darkness. _

_"What the hell were they doing out here!?" someone demanded. _

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_It wasn't long before the little girl woke up, tossing her legs over the edge of her bed. She wondered if it had all been a dream, the stranger, the pain, her body dying. It had to be, she was alive, her eyes catching sight of herself in the mirror that was lead into the wall across from her bed, feet padded over soft carpet, coming to a stop as tears rolled down her face. The distinct markings of teeth sunk into her skin shone bright under the moon light seeping in through her window, her shadow long and unfamiliar played on the carpet. _

_Her eyes. She couldn't remember her eyes being blue. _

_The sudden yelling and crying from downstairs ripped her from her thoughts and she grabbed up her favorite stuffed bunny, sneaking down the stairs. _

_"She's leaving tomorrow. There's nothing else we can do," her father snapped. _

_"Please, I'm sorry," James' voice was weak and muffled under his crying. _

_"He can do more for her then we ever can," her father said gruffly. "Tully will take care of her." _

_Avril and James' mother simply cried in her favorite stuffed chair, her face buried in her hands. _

_"At least she somehow kept her soul," an unfamiliar voice broke in. "As rare as that is, it has happened. I'll make sure to bind it to her so her…maker can't take it out if he decided to." _

_"Her soul's what's keeping her mind sorted and her humanity," the scruff voice from the outskirts of town said and Avril wondered who he was as she couldn't see him or the owner of the other voice. _

_"She'll be alright so long as she keeps up with her potion." _

Sirius, Remus, Peter, and James stood still and no one who had heard her soft-spoken recount of the horror of that night moved to say anything. People laughed, and joked around them as their own silence became deafening, but no one dared to break it until she suddenly spoke.

"Now that all your friends know our dirty little family secret I hope you're happy," she smiled bitterly. "But I guess I do have you to thank for the fact that I get to stay with Uncle Tully. He's the only good thing in my life. Of coarse unless you count the fact that whenever I get the urge to _rip_ someone's jugular open I've to take this nasty little potion that does a number on my system. It's great to feel like a monster more then I already am."

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A/N: Yeah short chapter. I am writing the next one as we speak. I can see Avril with a bunny as a kid and James trying to be brave. Just too cute! Don't be confused about the Uncle Tully. It will be explained, but more down the line I'm afraid. _

_So keep reading to find out!! The lines '__Flames to dust, lovers to friends, why do all good things come to an end' is from the song: All good things (come to an end) – Nelly Furtado. The changing from human to vampire is so Anne Rice. I'm afraid that's what I find more believable for the change. So…_

_About James being about to do wand magic with the trace on him is not explained. I could have sworn I read somewhere in one of the actual books that a child could do magic with other adult wizards around. Like in a magical household and the Ministry of Magic wouldn't be able to tell if it was the child or the adult that had preformed the magic. shrugs _


	6. The Frog Formally Known as Prince

_A/N: This chapter is the lead to a prank filled one so yeah…I OWN SIRIUS BLACK AND REMUS LUPIN!!! HAHAHAHA!! What?...I don't? We didn't kill off JKR and steal the rights? DAMN!_

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Chapter 6: The Frog Formally Known as Prince**

James and Sirius still weren't talking when the third week rolled around, Dumbledore having already called the four Marauder's into his office to swear them to secrecy that no one outside of the small group would find out about Avril's — affliction. The four knowing, that just like with Remus they weren't to act like she wouldn't hurt them, because very much to Dumbledore reasoning and belief she wouldn't. Sirius didn't say his thoughts on the matter for fear of get James any angrier with him then he already was; though James disliked his sister, she was still after all — his sister.

"I'm sorry mate!" Sirius pleaded. "I didn't mean to let it slip is all. I completely forgot and…"

"Obviously," snapped James throwing down his Potions book unable to get past the first line of reading for the umpteenth time that night. Peter squeaked a bit in fright at his friend's anger.

Sirius sighed. _"How many times am I supposta apologize," _he thought, running his fingers through his hair as his grey eyes caught sight of Avril set off in the corner of the Gryffindor common room alone and by herself.

Standing, he drew the attention of his friends. "Where're you going?" Remus asked, looking up from his book.

"To talk to someone," is all Sirius said before making his way through the crowded common room.

Avril buried in her homework up to her eyeballs, quite literally, for there where books, parchment, and scrolls piled up on each other, blocked her view of the approaching Black. Working out a bit of particularly hard to translate numerology for Arithmancy she heard him before she saw him.

"They sure do load homework on us don't they?" He asked, trying to be as civil with her as possible. She didn't say anything; let alone give tell that she had even noticed him there.

Sirius grumbled something to himself she couldn't hear, pressing on. "Listen I wanted to apologize about a couple of weeks ago. James told me when I kept pressing him on the matter. He didn't tell me the bit about the whole night though if that makes it any better."

Avril chuckled. "Oh yeah that makes it loads better! I'll go right over there and we'll be best mates," she said sarcastically.

About to snap back, he was interrupted. "I stopped blaming James a long time ago," she said looking a bit sad. "You're not a failure until you start blaming everyone else around you."

Sirius was rather shocked by her words; she sounded more mature then he certainly was and just as wise as Remus. He felt his heart tighten suddenly at the sadness in her voice and emotion hidden in her eyes. When he finally rejoined his friends, sitting back down on the floor, he saw that Peter's chess piece had smashed his knight off of the board and nearly into the fireplace. It didn't take long for him to pick up the dirty looks abound from his friends.

"What did you do? I don't hear yelling so…," James demanded rather then asked.

"I said I was sorry," Sirius replied, mumbling to his pawn to go forward and attack Peter's open Queen.

"And?" Remus asked, peering over his book, looking at him suspiciously.

"We hid behind her pile of books and snogged until she said she was hopelessly devoted to me!"

'THACK!' A black bound book smashed against the side of Sirius' head.

"OI!" He yelled, grabbing his throbbing head, for the book had hit on impact with a great deal of pain.

"I know I'm your greatest wet dream, but stop fantasizing about me for pete-sake!" Avril stood behind the couch James was lounging in, her hands on her hips.

"You know I have heard him say your name in his sleep!" Peter snickered, getting the conjoined laughs of Remus and James. Sirius looked like he was about to attack, but couldn't decide between the group.

"Shut up!" He snarled, holding his head. Pulling back his hand, blood stained his naturally tan skin.

"You're bleeding," Remus said putting his book down, eyeing his friends' injury.

"Damnit it hurt and now I'm bleeding!" Sirius snapped. "It's your fault!" His finger pointed to Avril.

"Oh suck it up you pansy!" She snorted; suddenly realizing what she said, seeing the worried looking of her brothers' friend's, "That's not what I meant for Christ sake!"

Remus chuckled. "You hurt him, and you take him up to the ward." James and Peter nodded their heads in agreement.

"What?!" They both yelled drawing the attention of some others in the common room.

"He had better get one of his playgirl's to take him," she laughed moving to the back of the chair Remus sat in. "I bet you'd like that. The idiot fawning over you, 'Oh Sirius how naughty of that evil wee-ach to hit you with a book upside your head!'," she said imitating one of the many girls the boys knew that Sirius snogged on several occasions; at this she petted the top of Remus' sandy haired head. Peter laughed and Remus' eyebrows rose, while he looked up at her. "'You were sooo manly not to hit her back!' "

James snorted out a laugh that he refused to quite when Sirius eyed him. Avril walked away, making her way to the porthole.

"What a loser," she mumbled laughing.

"What did she just call me!?" Sirius shouted, still holding his head.

Remus hid himself behind his book as was James, and Peter buried his face into his arms.

"You comin' or what manly man?" her voice trailed from outside the common room already.

"Goddamnit, son of a bitch, fuc----, " the black haired boy mumbled stepping out after her, catching up to her in long strides, his legs longer then her own.

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It didn't take long for the two to see Madame Pomfrey, Sirius to be cured with a wave of her wand and out on their way back when another argument broke out between the two, cusses spilling out into the hallway. McGonagall sighed, having heard them first and saw them second; their wands raised chest level ready to shut out a hex when she snatched them both out of their hands.

"You think the detentions you've got now are enough; wait until you see Dumbledore!"

Sure enough, the older woman shoved them up the revolving stairs and soon the two were in familiar looking chairs in front of the Headmaster.

"It is not good to see you two again, though I am glad the others are not up here with you," Dumbledore sighed, putting his hands together looking over his half-moon shaped spectacles at the two. "Now what caused this argument?"

"When this evil _witch_ slammed a book into my head!" Sirius growled, throwing a finger at her. "I was bleedin' all over the place!"

"Be a man and suck it up!" Avril growled just as loudly. Dumbledore immediately realized his mistake in asking such a simple question.

"You evil blood suckin' bitch!" Snapped Sirius, his grey eyes clouding over with hatred.

"Now Mr. Black I won't…," Dumbledore began to reprimand the young man, but was interrupted.

"Shut up you pink to-to wearin' pansy!" Avril countered, laughter rolling over Sirius like a fog when an unexpected pink fluffy to-to appeared about the teens waist.

"What the hell?! You got another wand hidden some where don't you?!" He snarled, tearing at the pink addiction to his wardrobe.

"Unlike you I'm intelligent enough to do some spells without one, you moron!"

"Yeah right! You probably suck the intelligence out of your unsuspecting victims at the same time you're drainin' 'em dry!" Sirius cried out still unable to be rid of the to-to.

Dumbledore sighed giving up his failed tries at intervening, and watched them over his glasses calmly.

Avril looked at Sirius as though he was a foreign object in her world. "Suck the intelligence ---- do you hear yourself? Do you honestly think of what you're going to say, or do you just let it fall outta your mouth like the normal bullshit you spout?!"

Sirius finally tore the pink frill from his robe and tossed it at her face. "Shut the hell up you bitch!"

"Bastard!" Avril snapped, her face growing closer to his.

"Asshole!" His own face growing closer to Avril's.

"Asshat!"

"Moron!"

"Nitwit!"

"Just shut the hell up you blood suckin' parasite!" Sirius roared the two now up in arms with their chairs.

"There you go spoutin' shit again!" Avril snarled turning briefly to look at the Headmaster. "Professor Dumbledore, you really need to do something about this! His heads been switched with his ass!"

Sirius blew up; tossing the chair at her. "Why you no good, vacuum cleaner!" The insult, having many different meanings, Sirius wanting her to have them all. Avril's intake of breath in a gasp, wide eyes, and frown gave Sirius the pleasure he wanted from it.

Ready to throw out another one, Dumbledore stood and nearly yelled. "That is enough!" The old Headmaster knowing the insult's many hidden meanings, the latter of the two disgusting him that his students would use such simple words to express such vulgar meanings.

"Sit down," he ordered, his voice lowered once again to its normal range of speech. The disregarded chairs zooming back into place, pushing at the back of the knees of their would-be occupants, forcing them to sit down.

"I will not have that kind of language in this school! Mr. Black you will apologize for your comment just now!" The Headmaster eyed the teen.

Avril was staring at him with a smug look on her face. "You've got to be kidding," Sirius said, furrowing his brow.

"No; I am not."

"Sorry," he grumbled, turning to look from her as quickly as possible, wondering if he'd blow chunks after he left.

"Miss. Potter," Dumbledore said indicating that she was to do the same.

It was Sirius' turn to look smug as he watched her jaw line grow stronger if possible and her lips pierced tightly, her eyes seeping with hatred.

"Sorry," she growled, and mumbled quietly to herself, "…that you're moronic twit."

"Very good," Dumbledore sighed. "Now, since you two like one another so much I find that giving you more detention would not change your attitude towards each other; so instead, under Filch's supervision you will be serving the detentions you already have on Friday's with him, cleaning out and moving the armory from the fourth floor to the third level dungeons," when the two teens moved to protest, he placed his hand up to stop them. "That is my decision; you will start tonight after dinner. You may go."

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"I can't believe I've got to do this with that idiot!" Avril spat, eyeing Sirius down the table from her position with Lily, Morgan and Hayden, her folk stabbing into the table when she had been aiming for a piece of ham on her plate.

"It's your own fault for starting to argue with him right in the middle of the hall," Lily said, downing her cup of pumpkin juice. "You should have known he'd argue back."

"Even Dumbledore was mad that he called me that," Avril smirked; finding it wonderful the Headmaster had been on her side.

"I think any teacher would have if they had heard him," Morgan mumbled between bites of food, crumbs falling onto her robes.

"I do feel for you! More detentions just after we finished ours with McGonagall last week," Lily said with a frown as she brushed Morgan's crumbs from her own robe.

"'orry," the blonde mumbled. "'arvin'"

"Gathered that much," Lily chuckled.

"His ass is so mine!" Avril brushed off the laughter issuing from her friends at the statement. "This means war! And I know the perfect partner!" she suddenly began to cackle loudly, gathering the scared stares of the people around her.

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"If she keeps staring at me I'm going to use her head for target practice," Sirius growled, his fork taking aim.

It was a wonder Dumbledore hadn't issued sporks because of people like Sirius, Remus thought to himself laughter issuing as he shared his thoughts with James. Peter looked rather confused wanting to know the joke and Sirius glared at his two friend's knowing they were laughing at his expense.

The abrupt maniacal laughter erupted some way down the Gryffindor table caused the four to seek its source and the four broke out into their own laughter.

"You're sister's insane!" Remus chuckled, shoving his folk into his boiled potatoes.

"No way man, she's plannin' your down fall!" James laughed pointing to Sirius who suddenly straightened up at this news.

"What do you mean?" Peter asked before his friend could.

"She only laughs like that when she's thought of a really good revenge plan," James chuckled. "She and I use to plan stuff to get our cousins all the time. We were pretty ruthless."

"In other words watch your back mate," Remus smiled, shoving the rest of his potato in his mouth while he looked down the table to see Avril's friend Hayden looking at him with a soft look in her eyes; her head turned quickly realizing he was looking back.

"_Wonder what that was about,"_ Remus thought.

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A/N: Again I think it's kinda short, but I didn't wanna give away the next chapter. Still things will be explained if you're confused. Just keep reading!!_

_Please R&R!_


	7. A likely but Unlikely Pair

_A/N: This chapter is a bit long. I was thinking about splitting it but changed my mind. I soooo own Sirius! JKR as agreed to sign him over to me after she brings him back into the series. Lol.__ Sorry this took so long. Thanks for holding on guys…if your still out there. XD Thanks to my beta reader: Rhianna for dealing with my odd story!_

_DISCLAIMER: I could have sworn I wasn't going to do these anymore, but hey. I don't own HP unless it's in my mind._

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Chapter 7 - A likely but Unlikely Pair**

It didn't take long for Sirius to experience Avril's first prank. Though small at first, it turned into something that was annoying the hell out of him. His feet flew out from under him as he hung by one ankle, his robes falling around his face, books flying and his bag hitting some unsuspecting seventh year in the face. James just managed to get his friend down under the cusses he was spewing when the seventh year let Sirius have it as soon as he was on his feet, only sending him back onto his ass.

"I have to admit this is a lot more fun then I thought it would be," a deep voice said softly as he chuckled.

"I told you it would be," Avril smirked, trying to contain her laughter as the two hid behind one of the square pillars in the outdoor corridors. "Now that you've gotten a taste of what we can do as partners, would you like to seal the deal Severus?"

Severus Snape smiled menacingly; a type of smile that the Slytherin's held in pride. Holding his hand out; the two shook on it. "You should have been sorted into Slytherin."

Avril smiled just as darkly. "Indeed. You think Dumbledore would reconsider?" she chuckled.

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The next prank was less painful, but more embarrassing as both James and Sirius were forced after several hours of fruitless attempts to enter into the Great Hall looking like they had stuck their fingers in a light socket. Hair on end in a frenzy mess, the color of coal coated them like something had blown up in their faces, and the area around their eyes the only place devote of charcoal coloring. Of course when they dared to talk, their teeth shown white as a newly painted fence would raise even more laughter.

"This means war!" Sirius bellowed down the table at Avril.

"Don't tell me that was you!" Lily scolded, trying to keep her smile from her face as James looked like a right foul git.

"Not me entirely," the girl's looked at each other with both confusion and worry in their eyes.

"You actually got someone to do this stuff with you?!" Hayden snorted, taking a sip from her early morning orange juice.

"Well actually I got two other people, but I won't mention names," Avril smirked, cutting up her pancake. "Pass the butter please."

Sirius abruptly stood on the table bench. "You hear me Potter!" he yelled, directing the surname to his best mates' sister. _"This means war!"_

"I don't know why you're yelling at me like you think I did it!" she shouted back, tossing her fork down.

Sirius snapped, "I don't have to think it, I know it!"

"You don't have to announce your stupidity! Everyone here already knows you can't think!" Her hands gestured to everyone in the Great Hall. The Slytherin table broke out into laughter; Lucius Malfoy and Severus laughing from their separate at other ends of the table.

"You should have been in Slytherin, cause you sure as hell ain't Gryffindor material!" Sirius snapped.

"Really? You don't think?!" Avril and Sirius found themselves only a few feet off of each other now, the Great Hall watching intently. Dumbledore simply shook his head at the scene.

'_More detentions are not going to help…hmm, but maybe longer hours.' _

"In case you didn't notice that was sarcasm! Sarcasm is just one more service we offer!"

Sirius suddenly grew a smile ear to ear; even still under the charcoal coloring, his teeth shined. Avril couldn't help but laugh.

"Yeah you can offer me your services any time," he whispered harshly and watched Avril's lips pierce together like McGonagall's had often done in his presence.

"I'm afraid _those_ are specifically reserved for me," Lucius' voice replied smoothly at Avril's side, his arm snaking around her shoulders abruptly.

"Get out of here Malfoy or I'll hex your arse into the rafters!" Sirius growled, James quickly coming to his friends aid at the sight of Lucius.

"I'd like to see you try," Lucius snarled quietly, the people around them trying desperately to listen in. "Though Avril's a big girl and can take care of herself…," Lucius touched her cheek softly with his knuckles; to James' disgust his sister didn't fight it. "I don't want her blamed for your absurdity and have to spend more time with you or Black then she has to."

"If you don't get your hands off my sister…," James' wand raised chest level ready to blow Lucius back.

"I would like my girlfriend to spend more time with me than your group of _friends_. I don't like getting jealous," smiled Lucius as charmingly as he was melt-worthy in several girls' eyes.

"WHAT?!" James and Sirius' spat. _"GIRLFRIEND!"_

Avril and Lucius smiled at the same time as the two idiots seemed to pick up the word instantaneously. Besides that of their friends faces falling, so did McGonagall and Dumbledore's; Lucius and Avril knowing perfectly well that they weren't together, but finding that given news of that multitude to James and Sirius in the middle of a fight would be the cherry on top. Perfect! Though of course there were other reasons as well, sure enough, things would fold out.

Neither knew what to say, their mouths moving like a fish out of water. Lucius and Avril basked in the wonderful stunned silence the two had created.

"What's a matter Black, you jealous?" Lucius asked calmly and Sirius' face flushed red suddenly to the surprise of both Potter's.

"What the hell would I have to be jealous about?!" he snarled. "This piece of Slytherin lovin' tra--"

"That is enough Mr. Black," McGonagall's voice suddenly broke in surprising the four. "You have just increased your detentions to everyday after dinner under Filch's supervision until further notice!"

"What?!" Sirius nearly shouted, his face holding a bewildered expression.

"You as well Miss. Potter," Avril's smug look dropped and quickly turned to pure loathing.

"Why you S.O.B.!" The black haired girl snapped.

"MISS. POTTER!" McGonagall roared, ready to give the girl more then unpleasant detentions.

"I was talking to Black, Professor," she smiled sweetly. "I was merely calling him by his initials."

"Wha---- What?!" McGonagall demanded.

"Sirius Orion Black…S.O.B.," she spelled out with a grin as wide of Sirius' had been when asking for her services' and Lucius chuckled.

It was McGonagall's turn to gap like a fish out of water before she barked off her directions again, forcing them to separate.

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Dinner seemed to end quicker than Sirius or Avril wanted, and by the time they arrived for their detention several pranks had happened on both sides. Ketchup spilled into Avril's bag filled with her finished homework. Toilets and urinals retaliating every time Sirius tried to flush one, the previous contents regurgitating on him. _Vicious Skunk Bombs_ chased after Avril and several Slytherin's before exploding; covering them in an awful smelling yellow powder and while James and Sirius slept during DADA, their hands stuck together under a sticking charm that lasted until the end of dinner. The two were made to look like they were holding hands, which got more then several amused stares and comments about getting a room from the Slytherin's; Lucius even offering to pay for it. The list was endless and sure enough more was to come.

The two had managed to clean themselves off before their detention, glad to be rid of the _Vicious Skunk Bomb_ smell and the attacking toilet sewage; though it didn't take long for the two to start a row again.

"Be quiet or I'll hang you by your toes!" Filch snarled, directing them along one of the hidden corridors Sirius knew well. Soon they were down in what could have been the deepest dungeon the castle had, but sure enough there were stairs off to their right that lead deeper still, though Filch demanded that they stay on that level only.

"You're to clean out all of these rooms; oh yes you are," the grimy looking man smiled, showing his row of dirty teeth while he pushed open one of the old doors. The door swung on its rusty hinges, creaking and groaning as it gave sight to a room cover in green and yellow slime that looked to be caked onto the walls after years of being ignored. Soot from the fireplace backed up the chimney and out onto the floor as things suddenly scuttled and scurried out of the way at the abrupt intrusion of light.

Avril wrinkled her nose in disgust, "Ew."

"That's right Miss. Potter and no magic!" Filch smirked, snatching up their wands that were loosely held in their hands.

"You've got to be kidding me!" Sirius and Avril snapped in unison, the two looking abruptly disgusted with each other.

"Trophy cleaning as well I believe for even thinking I was joking," the astonished looks of the teens gave Filch the pleasure he enjoyed before stocking off leaving Mrs. Norris to watch over the teens work.

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Working in silence the cat watched them to make sure neither tried any wandless magic either, which set them both in even fouler moods then before. The two kept as far from each other as possible on opposite sides of the room and a row broke out soon as Sirius threw a large crusted chunk of gunk at Avril's head making contact.

"OW!" she screamed holding her throbbing head.

Sirius laughed, pulling more from the wall for more throwing material when something shattered against his back and pain throbbed through his body. "That hurt you tramp!"

"Good!" she snapped, holding onto her head, blood trickling down through her fingers and over her wrist; Sirius was shocked he had managed to cause her to bleed that profusely.

"Sorry," he mumbled. "Let me look at it."

"No!" Avril growled.

Still; she let Sirius pull back her hand and sort through her hair to see the large gash that he had caused wincing a little. Sirius took in the smell of her shampoo that reminded him of freshly cut grass and the sweet scent of Lilies and his heart sped up for reasons unknown to its owner. Avril watched the boy wearily as he sorted through her hair, his scent wafting into her nose filling her senses with the familiar smell of the woods; like the teen had gone running through the forest at night, the scent of birch and wood chippings filled her once more. If wind had a distinct scent; it was him… and it was rather intoxicating.

"It'll be fine," she mumbled, pushing his hand away as he watched it heal on its own.

Sirius seemed a bit flustered. "Oh, right," his hand lingered on hers briefly, before he tried a lopsided smile that normally would have had any girl smiling back stupidly, but Avril didn't even see it, her eyes fixated on the door, seeing that the cat wasn't in sight.

"_Damn can't even get her to be nice_!" Sirius thought grumbling to himself as he started to get back to work when the girl suddenly spoke.

"Alright, let's see if this works!" Sirius turned around in time to see her lift her hand and mumble something under her breath he couldn't understand when the gunk, soot, and mysterious creatures disappeared abruptly, the room as clean as a dungeon could look.

Sirius seemed rather surprised. "Where did you send it?"

"I didn't send it anywhere," she smirked walking forward to a small object that was on the floor in the middle of the room, the square jiggled a bit in her hands and Sirius continued to look rather lost. "I peeled it off the walls and floors and shrunk it."

She was pretty good; Lily was the only other one that he knew that could do some magic wandless and nonverbal; it seemed so could James' sister.

"What did they teach you at Salem? Maybe I should go there," he asked as they made sure the cat wasn't insight before doing the same to the next room; Sirius pocketing the small jiggling circles and squares.

"Can use 'em in pranks on the Slytherin's," he answered her questioning looks.

"Salem is an all girl's school so I don't think you'd get in unless you decided to go in drag," she scoffed, disappearing into the next room, Sirius following behind daydreaming of the sea of girls. "Well at least top side."

The teen pulled himself out of his fantasies. "Top side? So how'd you learn to do magic wandless? I mean we're just now learning to do nonverbal spells."

"Salem ends our fifth year. We learned most of the things your teachers are teaching now. We can also get our license to apparate at sixteen in the States. The British Ministry of Magic has to respect the U.S. Ministry of Magic rules despite the fact that you've got to be seventeen here to," she said like it was the most knowledgeable thing in the world. "The Salem Witches' Institute is topside, while the Salem Wizards' Institute is down side. You'd have to see it to understand."

Pocketing another jiggling mass into his robes he pressed on, trying to get the answers to the questions James didn't have or refused to answer. "So how are you in the same year as us? I mean if you're younger and everything."

She was getting annoyed with his questions. "In Salem, if students show talent above that of the year they're in, they can skip forward at the Headmistress' decision."

"Ah…"

"My_affliction_ allows me to do things easier then you'd be able to," Avril answered looking out for Mrs. Norris before mumbling the incantation again.

"Wait, does that mean you've taken your N.E.W.T.'s?" Sirius asked leaning against the frame of the classroom door.

"No. Madame Fangrey said it was best for me to wait until my seventh year at Hogwarts," she snorted, evidently annoyed by this fact while tossing the square small box like mass at Sirius' head, his hand catching it with ease.

Sirius' grey eyes caught sight of something wrapped about Avril's right wrist. "Is that a tattoo?" he smirked enjoying the fact that his initial misconceptions of her were holding somewhat true still. When she didn't move to hide it, Sirius figured she was proud of it; it probably said something like 'pure bloods forever.'

"It's a personal motto," she snarled practically seeing his thoughts in bright neon lights above his head. "It's nothing to do about pure bloods."

"Yeah; sure," he said giving her a dirty look. "Though I guess you wouldn't let me be privy to such wonderful things."

Avril growled, "It's none of your goddamn business you Petri dish for sexually transmitted diseases!"

Sirius pretended to be hurt. "For your information I use protection each and every time," he let a smirk creep over his face suddenly. "Though you'll never really know; now will you?"

Instead of getting flustered, turning red with embarrassment and yelling something incoherent at him like he figured she would, she smirked._That_ sent shivers up his spine.

"Really, who said?" She smiled turning heel and swaggered her hips in step as she left him in stunned silence.

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"She actually said that?" Remus asked from his favorite over stuffed armchair in front of the fireplace. "I find that hard to believe."

Sirius' mouth fell open; he couldn't believe his friend wouldn't take him seriously.

"I'm serious!" he spat.

"We know you are," Peter snickered, egging his chess piece forward to kill James' knight.

Sirius growled. "Shut up! I'm tellin' the truth!"

"I'm with Remus on this one mate," James said absent-mindedly. "She hates you; I don't see why she'd say that."

"To get under my skin! For this very thing to happen! She knew you wouldn't believe me, she's really after me and is just using these pranks as an excuse to get close to me!" Sirius retorted, slamming his Herbology book shut.

"And that's why she's with Malfoy?" James replied looking at his friend exasperatedly.

"To get under my skin mate!" Sirius answered gruffly running his fingers through his hair as he eyed her across the Gryffindor common room remembering the scent he had inhaled off of her down in the dungeons.

"Here's a good question," Remus said shifting to the edge of his seat drawing the attention of James and Peter. "If you don't like her…hate her even; then why would it get under your skin if she's dating Lucius?"

Peter and James seemed to perk up at this sudden revelation and Sirius looked horrified. "It's not getting under my skin and I don't like her! Stop spreading lies Moony!"

"Then why are the tips of your ears red?" Peter promptly questioned. Remus and James laughed as they too had noticed it when Sirius lied, it being one of his reasons for his long hair over the years that he kept the same length. Their friend slapped his hand over his ears, immediately regretting it as he had boxed his ears in the process; not a very nice feeling indeed.

'_Why would he like her?' _Remus thought to himself. '_Is it because he met someone just as tricky and as much a prankster as himself and James? Only in girl form…'_

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A/N: You think Sirius' ego is getting in the way? A bit big isn't it? Lol. I see Sirius hair like the twins in the movie in GOF. Fred's though…Fred was the one with the flipped hair a bit…just black instead of red. Lol. I've two other chapters done so I'll put those up soon._

_Disclaimer: I own Headmistress Fangrey (she will show up in the story later XP)_

_I also took free reign with this chapter when it came to Salem. There is no info on the States magic school. So I made up the amount of years and crap so I could better explain Avril's transfer to Hogwarts beyond that of the basic explanation that I've got to tell. So the idea belongs to me, but the name does not. (does that make sense?) You'll find out more about my version Salem later in the story XP_


	8. Feeling a bit Lucky part 2

_A/N: Real short chapter here folks. It felt best to leave it short because the next chapter is super long._

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**_Chapter 8 - Feeling a bit Lucky (part 2)_**

Gryffindor Quidditch try-outs for the season had just started and James had set himself up to go through the beaters, and Sirius through the chasers. The Gryffindor try-outs never seemed to go without spectators; particularly Slytherin's, who rather enjoyed watching who they might go against later in the term. James deliberately left the replacement of the seeker, whom they lost to graduation end of last year, to last on his list. He wanted them to try out with the rest of the team, bludger's free and everything; see how they faired in a real match, detractions included. He noticed grudgingly that Avril was among those to try out for the position. Deciding to play her last, hoping Sirius would be too tired to do anything stupid; he split the team up for the scrimmage.

"How many more?" Sirius questioned. "My arse is sore!"

"How in the hell is your arse sore? Your damn broom comes with a Cushioning Charm!" James growled, wanting to hit his friend with the quaffle he was holding.

"Oh yeah, your ass doesn't get sore sitting on the couch for three hours straight?" Sirius barked back with a scowl.

"Oi! Can we finish this or what?" Mundungus Fletcher interrupted his friend's short-lived row.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," James mumbled. "Alright Avril get up here!"

Sirius became wide-awake at the mention of the girls' name, a devilish grin tracing his handsome features --- which seemed to drop just as quickly. He watched his best mates' sister jump a bit into the air, her broom sweeping under her feet and lifting her up quickly to their height high above the pitch.

"Hey!" Sirius exclaimed angrily. "You can't ride your broom like that!" his anger rose as he watched her hold balance; riding it like a Muggle snowboard.

"I've seen that stance before; the Sweetwater All-Stars," Alastor Moody answered gruffly. "American team, real good chasers."

"So it's actually allowed?" Charlie Hughes asked. She was one of the newer chasers James seemed to have chosen as he was allowing her in the scrimmage.

"I just said that didn't I?" Alastor retorted. "If it's used by the pro's there no rule against it being used by a school team. You can look it up if ya want."

Sirius frowned, "So what's keepin' her to it? You can't tell me its balance."

"Sticking charm made into the broom," Alastor huffed, his grey eyes scanning Avril. "Custom made deal…cost a pretty Galleon."

Sirius' scowl seemed to deepen and his eyebrows almost knitted together, eyes narrowed in loathing.

"BE CAREFUL BLACK, YOUR EYEBROWS MIGHT BECOME A UNIBROW IF YOU DON'T WATCH IT!" Hayden's voice bellowed out from the stands gaining a few laughs from the near-by people and those that could hear her. (_This would have been everyone there that day._) The black haired teen threw her a rude hand gesture.

"Well let's get on with this!" James said. Blowing the whistle giving sign of the fourth scrimmage of the day; the snitch was off, released once more by one of their reserve players Daniel Henderson.

Avril took off and James followed playing the opposing seeker. Being pretty fast himself he had once almost been placed as the seeker by the teams' former captain, but had asked for chaser preferring the quaffle. He had never seen Avril play seriously, but only had weak memories of her playing with him as a child barely able to stay on her broom. He wondered if she had improved or if it was all just an act.

_James laughed outwardly at his sister's sad attempts to stay on her broom, unable it seemed to find her balance as easily as he had. Even if they were only a year apart, there was no way he was going to baby her if she sucked at Quidditch__and let alone couldn't even keep on her broom!_

"_James stop laughing and help me!" the ten-year-old girl demanded of her older brother._

"_No way! If you can't even keep on your toy broom, what makes you think you can play Quidditch with me?" laughed the eleven-year-old boy._

"_It's not a toy broom!" Avril growled._

_James continued to laugh finding it all amusing as he sat a few feet from the ground, his feet tucked within the golden hooks of his Clean Sweep. "Of course it is! It won't even let you five feet off the ground, so it's a toy broomstick and not the real thing like mine!"_

_The small girl scowled menacingly for her tender age as she thought of tossing the broomstick at her brother instead of trying to fly upon it. Giving up Avril fell to the ground on her bum, feeling angry and annoyed; tossing the toy broomstick with a great heave into the ground where it splintered, breaking apart._

"_Now look at what you've gone and done you giant oaf," chortled James, landing with ease beside her._

"_Shut up!" spat Avril. "It's your entire fault I'm like this! I can't do anything proper because of you!"_

"_Because of me?" James said. "If you hadn't thrown---"_

"_If you hadn't taken me with you I'd be normal! I wouldn't have to have moved away! Mummy and Daddy would still want me!" Avril shouted, standing in a whirl wind disappearing into the house with its dark blue front door._

_The young boy stood motionless, unable to find words of any sort to shout back at her in anger --- simply because there was nothing for him to feel angry about. Absolutely nothing; only sadness and self loathing could he emanate at her accusing words for they were all too true. Was there anyone else that felt as guilty as he did? He didn't think so._

Whirling his broom around James watched his sister soar by, her trainer touching the very top of the would-be bristles of the broomstick. Her body suddenly lowered for less wind friction.

'_She's seen it,'_ James thought diving after her.

The air whipped through his hair as they dodged bludger's and player's alike, soaring at an unnatural speed towards the ground James suddenly realized what she was doing. Yanking hard on the handle of his Clean Sweep he barely missed smashing into the ground. Avril sailed by him leisurely, a challenging smile playing across her features as if saying: _Can you keep up?_

'_She tried a Wronski Feint and nearly had it completed…she's been practicing alright,'_ James smiled warmly, realizing how much he truly had missed his sister.

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"_So what's Hogwarts like?" Avril asked as James sat watching her play idly with a rather larger-then-normal jet-black cat they seemed to have just recently acquired._

"_Loads of fun!" James perked up, plunging the butter knife into the peanut butter jar on the counter before him._

"_Like what?" asked the ten-year-old girl._

_James sat back, briefly taking a reprieve from making his peanut butter and banana sandwich; thinking of something interesting to tell his little sister. "Well I met these guys on the Hogwarts Express, that's the train that takes you there, to Hogwarts, and this really slimy git named Snivellus. Well actually his name's Severus Snape--"_

_Avril's nose wrinkled, "What kind of name is Severus?"_

_James shrugged his shoulders and said, "That's why we call him Snivellus, fits better don't you think?"_

"_Definitely," Avril replied and the two laughed._

_Finishing off his sandwich making, the knife clattered loudly into the kitchen sink before the boy reclaimed his seat at the island in the midst of the kitchen. "Sirius and I are always--"_

"_Whose Sirius?" questioned the girl, rubbing at the cats' stomach lovingly._

"_Sirius Black. One of the guys I met on the train. He's the one that thought up the name Snivellus! I met him and this other first year named Remus Lupin. He's rather quiet, but funny and he joins in on our jokes and stuff we play on the teachers and the slimy git, Snivellus," James replied, grinning broadly._

"_Oh," the little girl's mouth formed as she rolled her eyes._

"_I reckon you'll be there in a year so we can show you around when you get there!" James said excitedly. "You'll have to find your own friend's to sit with though, cause you're not gonna sit with us, that would just be uncool."_

_Avril hit her brother's shoulder playfully. "Who'd want to sit with you gits anyway!" she said sticking out her tongue._

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"Been practicing Lynn?" James asked with a smile on his face as they landed on the pitch. The scrimmage had lasted longer then he had hoped, but nothing could be said about it now as the sun was beginning to set in the evening sky.

"I use to play seeker for Salem Witches," she smiled back softly, rather enjoying the simplicity of her conversation with her brother; that was until Sirius barged in rudely.

"Could have told us that!" he spat, broom slung over his shoulder.

"No one asked her," Kingsley Shacklebolt stepped in defending her.

"Doesn't matter she's our seeker," James abruptly announced to the disappointment of not only Sirius but to the others that had tried out. "Oops…sorry? I guess I was supposed to wait to pin that on the announcement board next week."

"SWEET!" Lily and Hayden roared suddenly from the stands, fists punching into the air in triumph.

"My stomach was in my throat when I dropped to grab it," Avril chuckled as she walked off the pitch with James and the others referring to the rollercoaster stunt she had pulled.

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A/N: In regards to the canon people in this chapter on the team I've no clue if they were in the same years as the marauders but I put them their because it felt right. Charlie Hughes is my own character as are the names of the reserve players. _

_Also regarding the following things: _

_-The Sweetwater All-Stars is an actually quidditch USA team, didn't make it up. _

_-The Wronski Feint is an actual strategy play for quidditch, didn't make it up. (look it up in Harry Potter Wikipedia)_

_-Also James was __**NOT a seeker**__ so please don't tell me he was. He __**WAS a chaser**__. JKR said so herself._

_Review please, reviews make my day! I usually review one of the reviewers HP stories if they've any._


	9. The Truth is revealed

_A/N: WARNING - THIS CHAPTER IS FULL OF EMO. I'm normally not an emo person, but this particular piece was already written out in my head and I had plans to add it to the story long ago. _

_This chapter has been rewritten and beta read by Ripley! I love that girl to death, she's great! XD _

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Chapter 9 - The Truth is revealed**

Snow had already begun to fall around Thanksgiving, when Avril made her way down to the Great Hall for breakfast that morning. She wanted to sit with her brother long enough to ask him what he wanted for Christmas and see if Remus and Peter wanted anything as well. She had no plans of getting Sirius anything.

"What do you want for Christmas?" Avril asked, squeezing in between her brother and Sirius, giving James a shove of her elbow as she took a piece of toast and smothered it thoroughly. James smiled and looked down the table at Lily who refused to sit with Avril if she was sitting next to that 'Potter boy' as she called him. Avril didn't need to follow his gaze; "I can't get you that for Christmas, I'm not a genie."

James deflated to Remus and Peter's amusement, and Sirius was too busy with a Hufflepuff seventh year to take notice.

The girl giggling as Sirius tickled her sides playfully. "So what do you say?" he asked softly; Avril's ears perking up.

"I don't know Sirius, what if we get caught?" she asked, innocently though she was far from it as Avril had heard.

"No one will find us," he said soothingly, flashing a daring smiling that the girl's always melted for.

Avril couldn't help but roll her eyes and stuff her finger in her mouth and pretend to throw up, wiping her mouth dramatically with the back of her hand as though she had really blown chunks. Remus snorted back a laugh while Peter gave out a shrill giggle and James tried to ignore his sisters' poor acting skills. Sirius' head snapped around, making Avril wonder if he had gotten whiplash in the process when a brown owl with speckled white feathers soared right into the girls back, who immediately let out a howl of fear mixed with pain and she quickly leapt up from the bench making her way back to her friends.

"Ruddy bird!" Sirius growled standing, brushing off the lose feathers that had stuck to the bottom of his robes.

"Hooty!" Avril chided, picking the bird up dusting it off as she took the small roll of parchment addressed to her, the bird taking flight as soon as it was relieved of its delivery.

"Hooty?" Sirius' eyebrow quirked as he straightened himself out catching sight of the letter Avril was reading. The words 'dead' and 'Uncle' flashed into his line of vision first, next was Dumbledore approaching; the headmaster putting a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"I just heard. Miss. Potter I'm so sorry for--" he began, but was quickly cut off.

"No," Avril whispered, turning to look into the headmasters eyes, her own filled with tears that were already cascading down her pale cheeks.

"Avril…," Sirius mumbled having gotten the gist of the letter. Rapidly the girl whirled around, the letter floating to the floor as she was off in a dash. Sirius was on her heels and was having a terrible feeling of what she was about to do.

"Avril wait!_Avril!"_ he yelled.

Trying to keep up with the girl, his feet carried him outside the doors of Hogwarts. Out past the grassy lawn that was kept rather nice and past the tall, black, heavy iron gates that were blasted open by the girl; blue and green sparks flying in every direction. He didn't know if she had used her wand even as he pressed on, fingers tips only a few inches out of the reach of her arm when an awful stitch tore into his side. Ignoring it as best as he could his legs flew over the ground; his robe began to tangle in his legs, and he ripped it from his body tossing it to float into the air behind him as the cold November air broke through the white undershirt he wore under the thin, un-tucked, loosely buttoned, white shirt.

"AVRIL!" he screamed. "WAIT!!"

Farther they went, Sirius trying his best to grip her arm, to stop her before they reached the edge; before she had the chance. Fingers enclosed tightly around her upper arm, but it didn't detour the girls' onward advance, harder she seemed to run, then over the grass to where it met and molded with the gravel road and-- _CRACK_

They were gone.

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An unfamiliar pull came from the back of his navel, pressing from all sides and lack of breath then just as quickly as it happened it was gone and Sirius found he was able to breathe. He had never Side-Apparated before or by himself; the Apparation lessons having only been announced weren't to take place until after March. It was definitely more than a new feeling; his parents never apparated with him because he was thought to be unworthy, never had experienced it until then; he didn't like it one bit.

Steadying himself he realized Avril was already making her way up a gravel stone walkway, the lose rocks flying in all directions under her speed. The tall black gate was wide open to reveal a house of brick and black shingled roofing. The dark blue door was left to swing on its hinges while it smashed against the wall without a door stopper; nearly slamming back against Sirius as he dashed past a frightened older woman. Running after a glimpse of Avril's long hair swirling around the corner of the stairs, Sirius hit the top to hear an immediate scream and loud sobs issuing from the room at the very end of the long hall.

"Avril," Sirius called, making his way slowly into the room to find her flung over what looked to be a sleeping man. Sirius would have thought otherwise if it had not been for the pale skin and the body's stillness; the lack of reaction to the girls moaning sobs.

"No please," she whimpered hugging the man close who resembled her so well, laugh lines apparent in his skin, his age untellable by simple means just like Dumbledore. "No please get up, please."

Sirius approached her hesitantly not really knowing what to do in a situation like this. "Avril…"

"You're not dead, you're not dead…," the girl sobbed harder shaking the man softly as though rocking him would awaken him from his slumber, her hair cascaded over the mans' face as she buried her own into his neck.

Suddenly Dumbledore's voice carried up the stairs, Sirius not caring to listen to the mumbled conversation carrying on a floor below.

"Wake up!" Avril roared suddenly, her face stained in her tears. "WAKE UP YOU'RE NOT DEAD!" she screamed beginning to pound on his chest; Sirius' hands clamped down around her arms trying to pull her from the bed.

"Avril it's going to be okay!" he cried, struggling to pull the sobbing girl from her Uncle's body.

"He's not…he's not...no…," she sobbed collapsing, taking Sirius down with her. His knees hit the polished wooden floor hard, the boy grimacing as she turned gripping onto the front of his shirt, crying so hard both of their bodies shook. The stitch that had cropped up in his side running after her hit hard as well, the pain throbbing together as it waved through his body.

"It's going to be alright," he tried to say soothingly, his hand running over her hair softly as possible given his pain and the shaking Avril was causing between the two.

"Please…," she begged looking up to him. "Please tell me he's not gone, and tell me that this is all a nightmare."

All the confidence that she once held was gone from her blue eyes. Her fearlessness, courage and sense of adventure that once could be seen in those eyes were gone and Sirius felt his heart being squeezed, like it was about to crack and shatter. Her begging for him to say it was only a dream made the crack in the teens' heart extend and lengthen. Sadness and pain had overwhelmed her, and she was begging for it all to be untrue like anyone would have. She was human like the rest of them.

"I wish I could…," Sirius whispered, the pain his heart felt deepening as her eyes welled with fresh salt water spilling across her already wet face. "I sorry," he whispered truly wishing he could tell her it was all a nightmare that everything was fine; but it wasn't. The only person she thought she had in her life was gone and there was nothing he could do about it.

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Sirius had some how managed to get Avril down the stairs, pulling her into what appeared to be the sitting room of the house and onto a slightly worn, dark brown leather couch. She had stopped crying, but instead sat in a stupor, her eyes dull and features paler then normal as Dumbledore's voice carried past the library walls that were down the hall from the sitting room.

"Why is the body still here?" Dumbledore asked in a hushed tone.

"We were preparing him for the burial. He had wanted a certain suit on and such…," the older woman's voice cracked before she broke out into loud sobs.

"I'm sorry Theo; I understand you were close to him," said Dumbledore softly, touching her shoulder.

"I mean I was just his…cutlery maid but…we…we use to talk…all…all the time!" she sobbed. "He was a great man!" the wails of anguish became more prominent through the door.

"Yes he was. Tully was a good and trusted friend of mine as well," the Headmaster said warmly at the memories, "I understand he left a will that he wanted Avril to read."

"Yes…he...," the older woman known as Theo pointed to the book shelves that were lining the walls. "It's in his favorite book."

Dumbledore stood before one of the many shelves inspecting them. "Oh my, he did have several favorites…," he trailed off. "But I do believe that_Quidditch Lover w_as his favorite," softly, long, slender fingers pulled at the top of the binding of one book in particular, pulling it from the self.

Hands running over the worn cover gave show that it had been read many times, maybe even to a small child of eight when plagued with nightmares to calm her. The Headmaster sighed as he flipped open the book to see a flattened piece of parchment incased between the pages addressed to none other then himself --- Albus Dumbledore. Reading through the letter, he pulled out a larger piece of folded parchment, realizing what he would have to tell the grief stricken girl.

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"Avril, I'm afraid I need to speak with you for but a moment," Dumbledore said, his presence startling Sirius who hadn't noticed him approach. Avril didn't move to stand; she merely stayed held within Sirius' arms. "Avril," the Headmaster touched her hand softly, getting the girl to look at him in surprise.

"He wants to talk to you," Sirius practically whispered, helping her to her feet.

"Please remain here Mr. Black," Dumbledore said, taking Avril and directing her into the library, closing the door softly.

Sirius sat back down taking in his surroundings. The soft brown leather couch gave signs of wear and use by the houses occupants as his fingers traced the winkles. His grey eyes wandered to the polished wooden coffee table in front of him, rings of previous mugs engrained in its surface and he couldn't help but chuckle thinking it was more then likely Avril's fault for its imperfections. Still; the room was warm and had a cozy feeling to it, a place where laughs were shared, memories made and sadness mutual. Sirius stood upon seeing the moving photo's on the walls; a picture of Avril when she looked to be only eleven waving enthusiastically from in front of a tall glass and silver metal skyscraper, the logo across the building reading 'Salem Witches Institute'. Her eyes were as blue as the day Sirius saw them for the first time when she entered into the Great Hall at Hogwarts back in September. All the confidence, fearlessness and sense of adventure were in them, even at such a young age. The teen suddenly burst into a snort of laughter at a larger photo that hung on the wall of the girl when she was only what looked to be fourteen, her eyes crossed and tongue poked out playfully.

'_What a photo to put on the wall_,' Sirius thought smiling at it warmly when a voice called to him.

"Oi! What're you lookin' at buddy!" it was Avril's voice coming from one of the portraits, like the many that the Headmaster had in his office and the castle had hanging on its walls.

"Your pictures," Sirius said, seeing the young girl putting her hands on her hips.

"You're awfully good lookin', what are you doin' here?" she stated fearlessly.

Sirius chuckled though his smile quickly dropped into a frown remembering with ease why he was there. "To help you."

"With what?" she demanded, albeit curiously.

Sirius really didn't know the answer to that question, but found the words rolling off his tongue with ease. "The death of your Uncle."

"What?" the portrait whispered, her eyes softening over.

"You found out this morning," Sirius felt awful for having to say it, even though it was merely a magically enhanced portrait of the girl he knew, but the real one was only feet away. He opened his mouth to try and comfort the portrait when a wale of anguish ripped through the entire house, piercing his ears.

"HE'S MY WHAT?!!" Avril's voice screamed, her sobs breaking through the door.

Sirius walked down the hall; stopping at the door, his trainers sliding across the polished wood a tad. A cry of anger ripped through the house just as Sirius fuddled the door open to see the fifteen-year-old girl full of rage, her hand sweeping across a small side table that held picture frames and other small trinkets; flying them into the walls to break upon impact. The very same side table was lifted and tossed in his direction. Sirius barely ducked in time before it smashed against the doorframe on its way out; pieces of wood breaking off.

"NO THIS ISN'T FAIR!!" she roared. "THIS ISN'T RIGHT!!"

Dumbledore stood in silence, his hands clasped together in front of his still form. Sirius only did the one thing that came to mind; he grabbed the girls screaming form, yanking her up off the ground as she struggled and howled out words that were incoherent as she thrashed harder.

Sirius screamed trying his best to get her attention; to calm her. "AVRIL STOP; AVRIL YOU'RE GOING TO DESTROY THE THINGS YOU'VE LEFT TO REMIND YOU OF HIM!"

Avril let out an earsplitting shriek, throwing out cusses that would have put a sailor to shame as her legs kicked at anything that they could reach. One of the bookshelves against the wall rumbled before it crashed to the floor hitting the over stuffed arm chair so hard the chair flew out from under it and right out the window, shattered glass spilling across the carpet like teardrops. Her strength appeared to leave her as she went limp in Sirius' arms crying hysterically, her sobs turning to whimpers of misery. They collapsed to the floor once more like they had upstairs, Sirius huddled over her, the two looking like a shaking mass as he rocked her back and forth.

"It's okay," he hushed. "It's okay."

_Snow fell lightly atop the twelve-year-old boy's head as he and his best mate James trudged up the gravel walkway to a house with a dark blue door and heavy lion head knocker._

"_So who is this?" Sirius asked shifting the parcels in is arms._

"_My uncle's house," James answered softly giving the knocker a quick hit against the door._

"_The one your dad doesn't like to talk about?" asked the black haired boy._

"…_Yeah," replied James simply._

_The door creaked open of its own accord as a voice called for them to enter from somewhere within the house._

"_Uncle Tully it's me!" James called out, shaking off the snow at the door mat with a stomp of his feet. Sirius followed suit. "I brought a friend with me if that's okay."_

"_Of course," the voiced chuckled._

"_Why doesn't your dad like to talk about him?" Sirius whispered, brushing the snow from his hair. "Is he all for pure blood or something?"_

_James gave his head a quick shake. "No. Dad never really said, I guess they just didn't get along as kids."_

"_Oh," formed at the boys' lips, "well I can understand that mate!" he chuckled referring to his own younger brother._

_James smiled softly as he led his friend back into what appeared to be the kitchen. The two passing a beautifully covered Christmas tree that climbed up past the ceiling, brushing against a glass plane sky window. The kitchen was heavy with the smell of baking cookies and the island in the midst of the kitchen covered in bowls of odd colors and vapors._

"_Sorry for the mess James," a man replied cheerfully and Sirius could make out the light laugh lines about his mouth as the man was a striking resemblance to his best friend. "I reckon making potions at the same time as making cookies really isn't a good idea."_

_James laughed as did Sirius who was taking in the look at the place, liking it all the more. The kitchen had such a warm feeling to it besides the obvious; in fact the whole house did. Sirius set down the parcels he carried on the kitchen table when the sudden feeling of warm fur circling about his ankles set him on guard._

"_Don't let Othello frighten you, he's a giant softy," the older man replied from behind the thickening veil of vapors._

"_Just caught me off guard," Sirius said softly lifting the larger then normal jet-black cat up into his arms._

"_And so, who's your friend, James?" asked the man._

"_Oh, sorry!" James laughed abruptly. "This is Sirius Black, I met him on the Hogwarts Express my first year!"_

_The vapors were suddenly waved away with flick of the older mans' wand, whose blue eyes pierced across the kitchen at the young boys figure. A glint of mischief in his eyes before he burst out into warm laughter. "Nice to meet you Sirius."_

_Sirius smiled warmly. "Nice to meet you too," he said taking a seat at the table as the cat leapt from his arms onto the table._

"_Is Lynn around?" James suddenly asked._

"_I'm afraid she took off with some mates just a few minutes before you got here," Tully replied. "I suspect she'll be back soon. Said she was going to stop off by this boys' house to wish him happy holidays." There was a slight roll of the older man's eyes in apparent laughter as one eyebrow rose in the process. "Girl's…I'll never understand 'em."_

_Sirius and James laughed._

It seemed like days had gone by while they sat on the floor of the Library, Avril cradled in his arms while their bodies rocked back and forth when Dumbledore placed his hand on Sirius' shoulder, the younger man looking up into his eyes full of age and wisdom.

"Mr. Black if you could take Avril back to Hogwarts I'd very much appreciate it," Sirius moved to shake his head, but the headmaster stopped him. "Theo; Tully's cutlery maid is going to take you by Side-Apparition to Hogsmeade where you should be able to get back to the school on your own. Professor McGonagall and Madame Pomfrey will be expecting you at the gate."

Nodding his head, he pulled Avril up with him, directing her out the door with Theo on their heels.

"Alright," the older woman said softly. Her fingers clamping down around both the teens' arms, dragging air into his lungs they were flung forward into Hogsmeade, the village whirling into view as they gained their footing, the woman gave a curt bow before disapparating.

Scanning the horizon, the sun was setting as dusk hit, shadowing them in the darkness. Seeing the Three Broomsticks was still open Sirius gave out a heavy sigh as their feet followed up the beaten path and into the familiar establishment that he had been into with many girls and friends alike, but never with Avril until then. Rosmerta looked rather surprised to see two Hogwarts students filing into her pub. The black haired boy familiar for he had often brought a giggling girl into the place, this time it was different, the girl he held looked as pale as death as though she had been on the verge of it herself, her blue eyes down cast and a vacant expression on her face.

"Black, what's this?" Rosmerta asked setting down the glass she had been wiping out, tossing the rag onto the bar top. "Students aren't supposta be out this late!"

"Her Uncle's passed," Sirius said softly, as though if it was said a certain way it would make it less true.

"Oh my; I'm sorry for your loss child," Rosmerta chided herself for being so rude only seconds ago.

"I need something strong," the girl suddenly spoke up; her voice cracked and dry as her hair was pushed out of her face by Sirius' fingers tucking it behind her ear.

"Yes, yes of course you do honey," quickly Rosmerta reappeared with a mug of Firewhisky setting it in front of the grief stricken girl. "That's strong; it won't land you on your arse, but its best to drink it…," the barmaid trailed off watching the girl down the mug in a rather hurried fashion without much response to its fiery kick. It must have burned her throat on the way down because she began to tear up; salt water renewing itself, falling anew.

"I've got…," she breathed. "I thought it was terrible that I have to bury my Uncle…the only person in my life that cared for me but…," Avril's voice broke as she cried softly, Sirius' arm wrapping instinctively around her a bit tighter.

"But now I've got to bury my father instead!" she cried out hurriedly. "He wasn't my uncle at all and the man I thought was my father really is my uncle!"

"What?!" Rosmerta was the first to ask, she had been quicker then Sirius, their faces holding the same expression.

"They…they…they had an affair!" she screamed out in sobs. "My mum and Tully had an affair and I was the mistake!"

"Godric 'Tully' Potter?" Rosmerta asked in disbelief as she refilled the girls Firewhisky, "Charlus Potter's younger brother?"

"Yes!" Avril frowned wiping the tears off her cheeks. "I'm only James' half-sister…," the girl suddenly turned on Sirius grabbing him by his loose Gryffindor stripped tie. "Don't you dare tell him, please? James and I finally have been getting along and…and I don't…don't want him to hate me again!"

"I promise," Sirius said numbly, nodding his head in unison.

"Tully was a good man he was," Rosmerta said suddenly as she watched Avril down another mug of Firewhisky. "He was four years ahead of me in Hogwarts, but he was a wonderful guy then too. Really good on the eyes, great smile…great person in general. A bit like Black here, liked jinxing people for fun in the middle of the hallways. You know blowing their robes over their heads, sending _Vicious Skunk Bombs_ after 'em; things like that."

Rosmerta took out two other thick and heavy looking mugs, slamming them down onto the bar filling them up with Firewhisky. Taking one for herself, she slid the other to Sirius as she filled Avril's back up for the third time.

"To Tully a great man in life and in death!" she announced loudly and held her mug up high, Avril and Sirius following suit as they downed their mugs, it taking Rosmerta and Sirius a few more swigs than Avril to finish them off.

"Thanks Rosmerta," Sirius stood pulling out some galleons to pay her for the drinks.

"On the house- don't even think about it!" she chided, pulling out some brooms from next to the door. "Here take these to get up to the school, it'll be faster. Make sure to hold on to hers now."

Sirius thanked her and led Avril out onto the dirt road. Mounting the brooms they kicked off.

"Sirius...," Avril said tucking her heels into the brooms metal rungs. She looked down at the ground that was several feet below. "Will you go to the funeral with me?"

The boy nodded without much thought and reached long, slender, fingers wrapping them about her broom handle. "Yeah."

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Preview of the next Chapter:

"_You're a terrible influence." Stan laughed, "Why do we hang out with you?"_

"_Cuz you wanna be as terribly popular as I am and cling to me for it." Joked Godric, his hands disappearing into his robes. He quickly pulled out his wand and took aim at some unsuspecting girl with long black hair; Stan and Ludovic watched as their friend mumbled something under his breath and with a flick of his wand the end of the girls' robes caught on fire…_

* * *

_  
A/N: I cried when I first got the idea for this. This was one of the major bases for this story. _

_Also note:_

_-I own Godric "Tully" Potter and Theo. _

_-Tully is not a cannon character, but Charlus Potter is though that may as well not be his name. I was looking at the Potters Family tree and its comparison with the Black tree. (Look it up at Harry Potter Wikipedia) _

_-James' father never had a younger brother in the real story. This is only for my story. _

_-I've no clue if Rosmerta was in Hogwarts when James' parents were, but once again it felt right. _

_-Please keep in mind that Wizards and Witches live longer, though they maybe old their appearance doesn't always give away their age (Example: Dumbledore - 150 when he died)_

_If you're confused with some other things in the story, it will be explained in later chapters I can say with some confidence._

_Review please, reviews make my day!_


	10. Say GoodBye to Yesterday

_A/N: This chapter took me longer to write then I wanted it to mostly due to the fact that I had not planned to write a chapter like this, but decided it at the last minute. I had more fun then I thought I would diving into Tully's past. _

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_**Chapter 10: Say Good-Bye to Yesterday (Part 1)**_

Sun broke out through the clouds as a young boy looking to stand at six foot an two inches, no more then seventeen dashed into his friends, colliding with them on purpose very much to their dismay. The boy laughed, shed off his robe of black and rolled up his sleeves as he loosened his tie, tossing the robe onto his shoulder. The teen smirked broadly, his handsome features magnified even more as he had an air about him that his friends could never hope to achieve, his spirit seemed free; his blue eyes full of adventure as his mind always thought of new ways to prank people and girl's to date. He hadn't quite gotten through the fifth years yet.

"Tully if you don't quit that shit!" a boy about the same age growled dusting himself off as the sun peeked once more through the clouds, blessing the students outside that day with its appearance to rid them of the rain that had been falling continuously all week.

"You really need to loosen up Owen." Godric Potter said running this fingers through his mussed jet black hair, "And don't call me that! I hate that damn nickname."

A teen a bit taller in height then Godric scoffed, running his fingers through his own light brown hair. "Makes you sound like a portly fellow doesn't it?"

"If I remember correctly Stan you're the one that gave it to me!" Godric snorted slamming his elbow into his friends' side rudely.

The four boys laughed, plotting themselves under the large oak down midst of the hill near the lake the squid was known for popping out of quite frequently.

"I'm so happy we don't have any major testing this year." One of the boys said smiling happily, his brown hair falling into his green eyes slightly.

"Of coarse you are Ludo." Owen Sirocco scoffed, "You barley managed to scrap by with your O.W.L.'s." the sandy blonde said matter-of-factly, pulling out a green bound book to study for his next class.

"What do you expect?" Ludovic Bagman smirked, "I was tired! Godric and his flavor-of-the-day kept me up all night before testing!"

"I was the one busy that night and I managed to pass my O.W.L.'s with fly colors!" Godric laughed, tossing his robe onto the ground next to himself.

"All you do is shag." Stan Mayfield chuckled leaning himself up against the sturdy oak as his grey eyes watched several girl go by giggling to themselves on their way to met their friend's down by the lake.

Godric pretended to look hurt. "I don't just shag! I give them the seven minute cuddle they require afterwards." Godric retorted getting laughs from his friend's as Owen shook his head continuing to read, "That's the key to good shagging you know, gotta show 'em you're willin' to be there for 'em an stuff. Girls are odd like that, but it makes 'em come back for more!"

"You're a terrible influence." Stan laughed, "Why do we hang out with you?"

"Cuz you wanna be as dreadfully popular as I am and cling to me for it." Joked Godric, his hands disappearing into his robes. He quickly pulled out his wand and took aim at some unsuspecting girl with long black hair; Stan and Ludovic watched as their friend mumbled something under his breath and with a flick of his wand the end of the girls' robes caught on fire. Screams ripped through the air as the controlled flames crept up farther as she tugged at her robes feebly trying to pull them off; water splashed down from one of her friend's wands over her body extinguishing the fire hastily. Her head whipped around and Godric wondered if she got whiplash in the process with hopeful giddiness, but the hope was quickly extinguished very much like the fire on her robes.

"POTTER YOU BLOOD TRAITOR!" she screamed her eyes wild as her wand rose to scream out what most likely would be a very nasty hex. That's all it took to bring three of the four boys to their feet, their own wands raised chest level daring her to.

"Give it a try Black and see what happens!" Godric scoffed his own eyes wild with the possibility of another confrontation with Walburga Black, one of his sworn enemies very much like the whole of Slytherin was at the time. He would enjoy blowing her back into the lake with the Squid for the second time that year.

"EXSCINDO!" Walburga screamed red sparks of the hex flying as the word spilled from her mouth with vehement hatred.

Godric knew the hex well enough from his summer mishap with Walburga as did the others who scuttled and jumped out of the way in time to see the hex hit the tree they had been only seconds ago lounging under as the tall old oak blasted apart, the deafening explosion shook the ground, wood splinters flying in every direction threatening to severely hurt some unfortunate person.

"MUNIMENTUM MUNIO!" yelled Owen, sudden green erupting from his wand as a dome similar in color expanded from the exploding tree incasing all of it's flying debris behind its fortified walls.

"Expelliarmus!" Stan roared as the exploding tree had distracted Walburga long enough for him to send her wand flying a good few feet away, though as it seemed Godric had yelled out something at the same time, sending Walburga into fits of laughter and giggles. It was rather frightening to still see her laughing when Owen released the fortification charm, the fragments of wood both large and small on the ground by then having hurt no one outside that day to witness the fight.

"I should have known." The familiar voice forced Godric and the others to turn to their newly appointed Headmaster Albus Dumbledore who had only taken up the position at the start of the term after teaching Defense Against the Dark Arts after several years. Godric thought he could have only been in his late seventies and looking none the worst for it simply because Wizard's and Witches lived quite longer then muggles, though their appearance rarely showed their true age, he smiled happy to see his favorite teacher.

"Professor Dumbledore! We were just getting ready to come and get you!" Ludovic started up. "Figured we ought to tell you that Black here exploded your favorite tree."

"Owen could barely contain it, Sir." Godric piped in, yelling to be heard over Walburga's loud tears of laughter and screams practically or was it that he just couldn't hear himself?

Dumbledore gave his wand a wave and Walburga stopped her laughing, her face red as though contorted in pain her lips moving to spill out words Godric couldn't suddenly hear any more, the words fading in and out. Poking his finger into his ear he gave his head a shake just as Stan's face contorted as though desperately trying to hear what Dumbledore was saying.

"It seems they've gone deaf temporarily because of the explosion and their close proximity." Dumbledore explained to a fellow teacher that had followed him out after the fright of the explosion and shaking of the great castle.

"MY BOOKS, ALL MY HOMEWORK!!" Owen yelled though whether it was because he was unable to hear himself or because he was that angry no one knew, but it had frightened the several other teachers that had appeared to examine the damage, rather surprised that no one was injured beyond help.

"That was quite a powerful fortification charm." Professor Flitwick said suddenly down near Dumbledore's knees, "Quite quick to get that one out. Who was it?" the charms Professor asked rather curious as to which one of his students had that kind of hidden talent.

"Owen, Sir." Ludovic said, seemingly not as deaf as his best mates.

Flitwick gave out a laugh despite the situation. "Should have known." He smirked.

"Why is it that you are able to hear unlike your friend's Mister Bagman?" Dumbledore asked raising an eyebrow.

"I got outta Dodge." The boy stated simply, throwing the Headmaster into great fits of rolling laughter.

"Of coarse I would have too." He smiled, a glint of mischief in his eyes briefly, disappearing just as quickly as it had appeared.

"WHAT DID HE SAY?" Stan yelled looking to Godric like he could mystically break through the loud buzzing that was occurring in his ears since the explosion.

"Miss Taylor." Dumbledore said looking to a different young woman with black hair just as similar to Walburga's own with the exception that it was cut short and in Godric's often voiced opinion gave her a whole new look.

"Yes?" she asked rather scared of how he might try and tie her into all of this, though she was merely down by the lake with her friend's when it happened.

"I take it you saw all of this?" Dumbledore questioned looking over his half moon spectacles, "Hmm?"

"Yes…" she answered cautiously, looking to Godric who smiled foolishly back at her, his hand ruffling his hair unconsciously as he always did when she was in sight.

"Why don't you tell me the events that caused the explosion of one of my favorite trees?"

The young girl looked to Walburga who was only a few months younger then herself. The girl could be scary and was all for pure blood's only, but when it came straight down to it all she was normal just like anyone else. The young girl pondered if Walburga could hear her or not upon deciding that she couldn't she told the Headmaster everything that had transpired.

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The three boys and Walburga lay in the hospital wing of the school completely part from one another as their hearing returned, Godric hearing bits of Stan and Owen complaining, catching enough of the words to know he was getting blamed.

"If-- not-- on-- fire-- wouldn't-- deaf!" Owen's voice snapped in through broken hearing.

"This-- Tully-- asshole!" Stan growled removing his shoe and tossing it in the vicinity of Godric's head, the teen feeling it sail by his face.

"Did-- blow-- tree-- not-- fault!" Godric tried to defend himself, but rather got more angry unable to hear his own words and fell back into his bed thinking of the best way to get back at Walburga, when a familiar pretty face came into his line of vision.

"Dorea!" Godric smiled happy to see this particular girl. She was unlike her own family that was up to their eyeballs in the Dark Arts and full of genocidal thoughts like the Blacks were and most certainly the complete opposite of her family. For one she was in Gryffindor.

"You've come to check up on me love?" Godric said sweetly, though only able to hear half of his own words.

"Don't call me love." Dorea Taylor retorted pulling up a seat next to his bed, crossing her legs as she did so, "Though I guess you can't hear me so there's really no use of it is there?"

"I can hear you…sort of." He smiled running his hands through his hair ruffling it a bit.

Dorea laughed knowing he did it out of nervous habit whenever she was near.

"I think I'm gonna puke." Owen mumbled a bed down from the two behind his white curtain the school's healer had incased around each of them.

"Aim for Stan." Godric retorted a smirk crossing his handsome features briefly before returning his attention to his visitor, "So when are we gonna date?" he asked.

"How's never? Is never good for you?" she asked cocking her head to the side as her own smile crept up the corners of her mouth.

Owen chuckled.

"Why not?" Godric asked trying his best to look hurt and ignore his friend's laughter.

"Why would I want to go out with a guy who shags anything that moves and more then likely literally marks the posts of his bed to count off how many?"

"I don't do that!" Godric found himself getting mad, "I'm not that big of a prat but since you seem to think so then maybe I should start marking them off." He spat his blue eyes refusing to meet her hazel.

Dorea suddenly felt bad for believing in the rumors that flew around Hogwarts about Godric Potter and his libertine style. "Sorry. I didn't mean to insult you." She said softly.

"Forget it." He said rolling over onto his side to keep from facing her, "It's always a privilege to be called a dog by the girl I think I might love."

Dorea felt her heart encased behind her ribs speed up at the unexpected confession, it feeling as though it might break through. "Tully…" she mumbled fingers touched his shoulder lightly. She never would have thought the day would come when she could hurt Godric 'Tully' Potter's feelings let alone get a love confession from him that no other girl appeared capable of.

"Don't call me that." He mumbled. "I hate that nickname."

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_A/N: There's going to be a part 2 maybe even a 3 down the road. Had way to much fun doing this chapter but like I said it took me longer then I wanted._

_Other Notes: _

_- I own Godric 'Tully' Potter, Stan Mayfield, Owen Sirocco and Dorea Taylor_

_- Ludo is a cannon character so I don't own him though he was fun to write about!_

_- I had originally named Owen, Marius, but preferred Owen. His whole name has a meaning._

_- The spell cast by Walburga: EXSCINDO is my own creation and thusly I own the idea behind it. The same applies to the MUNIMENTUM MUNIO charm._

_- I'll put a character of yours or you yourself in the story if you can tell me what Exscindo and Munimentum Munio mean. (HINT: Munimentum Munio is a combination of the same idea)_


	11. When There is Nothing Else to Say

_A/N: Whoo chapter eleven! I found a Harry Potter fanfiction site similar to FF and squealed…that's saying something because I never squeal. I sooo own all of the HP fandom you just don't know it yet! Lol_

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_**Chapter 11: When there is nothing else to say**_

+SPOV+

The funeral was what I expected it to be; people that cried and others that didn't. James stood with his parents on the other side of the grave while Avril kept her distance from them on the opposite side, Dumbledore between the two parties. She hadn't spoken a word since she asked me to stay with her in the hospital ward of the school that night and she still looked paler then normal, her eyes slightly puffy from extensive crying. As the eulogy neared its end, a small group of three men made their way towards us, their faces taught with grief as they stopped before Avril, one reaching out and grabbing her hand to hold warmly in his own.

"Avril I'm sorry we had to see you again under these circumstances." The tallest one spoke, his hair light brown hair speckled with bits of grey as lines of years of worry were evident on his face, "I wish we all could have sat down once more with a good cup of tea and you listening to us tell stories about how troublesome our old friend was." he looked as though he had been through the years had not been kind to him.

The three smiling at old memories that looked to have surfaced suddenly.

I watched silently as the sandy blonde of the three, gripped her shoulder softly. "Maybe when you feel up to it we can get together and talk horribly about him." He smiled warmly and suddenly he reminded me a great deal of Remus.

"With our terrible luck." The shorter of the three spoke, "He'll haunt us for it!" he chuckled and I watched as his green eyes sparkled a bit at the idea.

Avril suddenly let out a loud laugh that drew the attention of her parents and several others finding it rather appalling that she was laughing at a funeral, but the three men laughed with her.

"With his sense of humor he'd pop right out of the kettle!" the taller man spoke again trying to hold back his laughter.

"The loo's more of a likely spot he'd try to scare the shit out of us then any other place." The shorter fellow said and the four laughed harder and I couldn't help not to myself, catching onto the smaller joke that was snuck in there when James' father was abruptly upon the small group we had created.

"Do you find this an appropriate place to joke and laugh?" he demanded his voice quite low and harsh. I had never heard him like that before, but then again I can't say I really knew him that well.

"Yes." They said in unison that might have well have knocked over the older man who looked astounded.

"Well I don't think Tully would find it to his liking to see his supposed mate's laughing over his grave." He replied angrily.

"That statement alone tells us that you didn't know your brother as well as we did." The blonde stranger retorted straightening out, his hazel eyes daring the older man to challenge him.

"Don't proceed to tell me what I did and did not know about my own brother, Owen." He said finally identifying the man.

"We have every right." The shorter one hissed.

"My father said he would prefer people to laugh over his grave then to cry over it." Avril suddenly spoke up, her voice solid and full of the things it use to hold, "Celebrate death and mourn birth he always said. It's the body we're attached to when it's the soul we need to recognize…he's gone home."

Mr. Potter looked stunned and didn't look like he planned to come out of this one, his mouth a gap as the other's stood strongly behind her. "Then he told you?"

"Don't be stupid Uncle Charlus." She snarled, "It was an obvious point I tried to ignore, but I can't anymore can I? You never loved me like a father should because I'm not yours. I admit I did have my suspicions even before that night. Just the way you looked at me with distain…"

"I never hated you." He said matter-of-factly.

"But you never loved me. You were just cleaning up the mess you believed your brother created…though it was your fault for marrying the woman he loved." She looked as though she had lost her will suddenly to live and it worried me and I slipped my hand into hers giving it a squeeze and she responded equally, but continued. "I don't know your reasons for marrying mum. Hatred for my father or maybe because you fell in love I don't care but either way you're no family of mine and you let me know that the instant you knew you could be rid of me."

"You don't know what you're talking about. Dorea isn't-- " Mr. Potter was cut off by the tallest of the four.

"Let her finish."

"I guess I should thank you though. If what had happened didn't then I would never have gotten to know him. So thank you, but these people here…" she gestured to the three men and James, "Stan, Owen, Ludo and James…their family."

"Avril…" he stuttered, his hands at his side twitched slightly as his eyes darted to Dumbledore and I began to wonder what the man had been going to say before he was cut off.

She put a hand up to stop him. "There's nothing else to say." My eyes watched as Dumbledore engaged James and Mrs. Potter in conversation, keeping them from making their way over to our small group in hushed whispers.

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It seemed to take us forever to get back from Godric's Hollow to Hogwarts; the three men following us up to the usually chained gates of the school, Avril and I still held hand unconsciously it seemed for we didn't realize it until one of the men spoke.

"Sorry not to introduce ourselves back there." Owen retorted directing his statement to me, his hand outstretched and I shook it wishing that I hadn't released her warm grip. "The names Owen Sirocco."

"Stan Mayfield." The tallest of the three said shaking my hand as well, the shorter one following suit.

"Ludovic Bagman" he replied gruffly, pushing his hair out of his line of vision. "Everyone just calls me Ludo."

"Black, Sirius Black." I retorted instantly regretting it when the three looked at me with wide eyes and befuddled looks.

"What did you say your last name was?" Stan questioned his mouth a gap.

"Black." I answered rather suspicious, but realized they probably knew my family history and wondered why their friends' daughter was holding on to me or the fact that she was even near me. I wasn't about to explain myself but thought otherwise when they abruptly burst into laughter causing both Avril and myself to raise questioning expressions.

"You've got to be kidding me!" Ludovic laughed.

Stan was bent over laughing, holding on to his knees for support as Owen braced himself against his friend, the three laughing to loudly that it was drawing the attention of James and his parents as they approached us.

"Don't tell me your mother is Walburga Black?" Owen asked, the other two trying to control themselves.

"Yeah but I was disowned a long time ago." I replied. I had no problem telling or showing my distain for my parents. "Why?"

The three broke out into more fits of laughter as James told his parents good-bye and to stood next to Avril.

"What's so funny?" he asked looking at the scene.

"Godric and Walburga were mortal enemies!" Owen declared and I perked up a bit at this news; we had one thing in common-- our hatred for that woman.

"Why?" though I had the feeling I knew the answer.

"He-- he-- " Ludovic gasped from breath wiping away his tears of laughter. "-- asked her out our third year and she started spouting her normal rants about how much of a blood traitor he was and well he didn't take kindly to it."

"He asked her out!" I spat, "Are you joking?!" I couldn't believe it, why would a man like Tully whose personality appeared so much like my own ask her out?

"No. Tully was going through the girl's like white on rice from the start of term that year until seventh year when he finally got her mum to go out with him." Stan said subsiding his laughing. It was rather creepy to hear that and realized I was just like Tully Potter; going from one girl to the next. Well at least we had two things in common.

James looked surprised. "Uncle Tully liked mum?" he asked

"Yeah he was really pinning for her." Owen smiled, "Had been asking her out since start of fifth year."

"Sounds like you mate." I said smirking at James and remembering his endeavors for Lily Evans though he had really been trying to since second year.

The others laughed as did James, but Avril didn't. She just simply smiled and it become conscious to me that when she said that there was nothing more to say, she had really meant it. I wanted to shake her, to force her to say something even if it was to stop or that she was going to hurt me if I didn't quit-- anything.

"Avril…" I was cut off when Dumbledore touched my shoulder giving starling me and shook his head softly as though to tell me not to press the matter with the young girl; so I didn't despite my urge.

"Telling the brilliant adventures of Tully Potter?" the Headmaster asked giving away his small smile.

"Dumbledore." They said in unison smiling, one after another reaching out and shaking the older man's hand.

"Good to see you again." Stan spoke, "You were always Tully's favorite teacher."

Dumbledore smiled warmly at this and what looked to be great pride in his eyes for his former students, but chose to say nothing in response.

"We were about to tell young Black here about how Tully use to blow his mother back into the lake with the squid at least once a month." Ludovic smirked as the group laughed, I wished I could have been there to witness it. It would have been bloody fantastic!

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_A/N: Wahh! Short chapter!!! Another one of those that just feel right being short. The next chapter will be longer though! Promise! _

_Other notes:_

_- I own Godric, Owen, Stan, Avril and Dorea_

_- I love the name Owen, but it makes me think of Owen Wilson…though I love him too even with his broken nose that sets him apart!_

_- Had to change some things in chapter 10 because something I hadn't realized began to conflict with other parts of my story._


	12. Black Boxed

_A/N: I don't own Harry Potter, bla, bla, bla, etc' etc' etc'. This chapter was originally quite long, actually so long I split it into two chapters. So, short like chapter this time!  
_

* * *

_  
**Chapter 12: Black Boxed**_

James watched as Sirius and Avril grew closer over the month, the two practically inseparable since the funeral and several times since he witnessed his younger sister crying against his best mate clutching at the back of his robes between her sobs. James grew worried that Sirius might try and take advantage of her in her venerable position, but he never witnessed or heard of it happening, then again, James had never heard Avril talk since that morning in the Great Hall. He found it hard to suppress his worries and he stated them freely to his friend's who merely shrugged him off telling him that everyone mourned in their own way. It was December and Avril still hadn't spoken a word, the teachers not seeming to be bothered by it as long as she handed in her homework on time aggravated James to no point. The question of Avril and Sirius' friendship as nothing more reared its head when her friend Hayden tried to press the issue of her not talking and Sirius came to her defense. Then again he would have too if he had known and had been there, but he wasn't and he didn't.

James sighed looking down into his bowl of tomato soup, stirring it around aimlessly not really paying much attention to what was going on around him when he heard Lily's familiar voice.

"She's staying here for Christmas." Lily frowned taking a seat next to James who didn't even try his normal routine of 'will you go out with me' questions.

"Yeah?" he asked blankly

"Sirius is too." She said this time a worried look on her face. They held the same fear that Sirius might try something with Avril in her fragile mental state.

"Yeah I know." He mumbled his spoon continuing its stirring on its own.

"Hayden, Remus and I are going to stay too," She said grabbing a hold of the spoon, James' eyes finally turning to attention. "We think you should too."

"Mum and dad want me home."

"You're her older brother. Be one for once."

"What's that supposta mean?" he asked getting defensive.

"Nothing." She lied.

"Yeah right," James huffed turning from her and snatching his spoon back to fill his mouth with the red sauce. "You've always something smart assed to say Evans."

She scowled snatching the spoon back. "You're her brother and she needs you! You are the only person she considers family any more since your Uncle passed." She threw down the spoon onto the table and James watched it bounce away as Lily stocked off.

"_I need another spoon."_ James thought wearily.

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"What are we doing again?" Hayden asked from her position on the edge of Remus' bed, the said boy leaning against the headboard of the four posted bed; the red heavy drapes tied around each post as it was with nearly everyone's bed with the exception of Sirius' who's were never tied back, ever.

"Watch muggle movies." Sirius retorted from his spot on a seriously large assortment of overstuffed pillows that laid on a conjured old rug of red and blue. It was no fun sitting on the floor if your ass was going to be cold and in pain Sirius had told them when the girls came upstairs into their dorm room.

"Who's telly?" James asked knowing the muggle devise because he owned one back at home.

"Avril's mate Stan sent it when she wrote to him to borrow it. Shrunk it so the owl could carry it!" Sirius answered yet again.

"Stan? Uncle Tully's best mate, the real tall one?" James asked not quite sure of the three men that his Uncle hung out with during his Hogwarts years. He remembered meeting them a couple of times but wasn't that familiar with them as Avril appeared to be.

"Yeah." Sirius replied once more.

"I thought electricity didn't work here?" Remus questioned knowing the answer already, but questioning nonetheless.

"Nope, anything muggle electric doesn't work because there's to much magic in the air." Lily stated matter-of-factly like she normally did.

"Ah…" James trailed off raising his eyebrows skeptically.

"Magically powered." She said rolling her eyes. "Obviously."

"Yeah let's not get into the power of magic to boot up a T.V." Hayden retorted knowing where the conversation was going to go between Remus and Lily.

"Which one?" asked Sirius looking at the pile of pictured boxes on the floor in front of the T.V. and the similarly weird device shaped like a long slim box.

"Die Hard." Lily smiled. "When I think of Christmas I think of that movie."

"Lethal Weapon too!" Hayden piped in as Avril nodded her head in agreement flipping another small but long slim box in her hand every few seconds apparently out of boredom.

Seeing Sirius having trouble understanding where the other small hard box went, Avril pushed it into the machine that was similarly powered by magic like the T.V. was. The screen turned blue momentarily before the text of warning against illegally copying popped up and the movie started shortly, the room quickly thrown into darkness as they sat back and watched the muggle movie.

"Sweet! Violence!" Sirius and James cheered as the main character John McClain fired off more rounds from his muggle weapon called a gun also giving quote to the characters famous one-liner.

The girl's began to settle down after the fourth movie about someone doing something that they couldn't quite remember anymore. Avril fell asleep against Sirius' shoulder while they sat on the floor, but more than once getting disturbed by unexpected jerks of movement. Lily had passed out in Peter's empty bed due to the boy having been forced to go home by his parent's despite his protests to want to stay at Hogwarts for the holiday with his best mate's. Hayden similar to her friend's was knocked out against Remus' chest in his bed they were sharing very much to the boys delight, but to Hayden's despair, nothing transpired. Overall, it was a good start to the holiday with plans of many more muggle movies to come until the small Christmas feast and ball Hogwarts threw for those still there over the break every year.

Sirius snuck peeks at Avril as she slept against his shoulder, watching her bare legs trying to curl up under the knee length men's faded grey T-Shirt she wore as a nightgown. The boy pondered who she might have gotten the shirt from when an impulsive beast roared inside him, growling at the thought she might be wearing another guys shirt that wasn't his own. The beast roared louder even as his brisk jealousy rose higher when more thoughts crept into his mind of some other guy doing this precise thing with her in place of him.

"_What's wrong with me?"_ he thought, "_She's not my girlfriend so why should I care?"_ the boy tried to mentally shrug off the idea's that were forming of the two together as a couple. Perched on the brink of his upper most thoughts as though it had been there the whole time only despondent by his abhorrence and repugnance for her, but now both having been annihilated completely from his mind it was free to meander like an ocean fish popping in from time to time when it pleased. Chiefly at the most unusual times like when in the loo or tying his trainers in the morning.

"You think I should move Evans?" James inquired aloud suddenly. "I mean Wormtail's probably pissed on it."

Sirius chuckled and Remus snorted trying to keep the mental image out of his head. "Probably so mate, but where to exactly?" Sirius asked raising an eyebrow as he craned his neck to look at his friend. "Your bed I suppose?"

James smirked. "I wouldn't try anything like you Padfoot!" he chuckled grabbing his wand from his bedside table. "I mean look at Moony and Hayden!"

"So what, they've been like that for hours and he's not planning to snog her in her sleep!" Sirius said. Remus laughed this time, his chest dropping up and down when Hayden suddenly shot up, her eyes half closed looking between the three friends who stood still as stone before she lay back down against Remus' chest again. The three broke out in laughter, Remus trying to control his movements so as not to get a repeat of what happened.

"Your girlfriend is always good for a laugh at the oddest times!" James grinned before giving his wand a flick. "Mobilicorpus!"

Lily's sleeping form lifted from Peter's bed and floated slowly towards James' own, when she was laid softly down onto his pillow before the boy stood and covered her with his comforter prior to taking a seat on the lush red and blue carpet Sirius had snatched from the Room-of-Requirement, laying himself down amongst the pillows.

"Being a gentlemen Prongs?" Sirius smirked. "It doesn't fit you!"

James rolled his eyes looking to Avril's sleeping form against his best mate. "Of course you being a human pillow don't have its reasons?" he asked raising his eyebrows. For a second James could have sworn he saw his friends' face glaze over with anger, but just as quickly it was gone and he smiled warmly.

"Nah, your sister's not my type."

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_A/N: I'm in no way responsible for what I incoherently babble about a magically done telly!_

_- I know that those movies where not out when they were in school or for that matter a VCR…I actually think only Beta's where around then. Once again, I've no idea. I was born in the mid 80's and just remember having a Beta when I was young so--_

_- Believe it or not but Die Hard does remind me of Christmas and vice versa. On Christmas whether or not I'm with my whole family, my mother and I watch them 'em…except Die Hard with a Vengeance._

_- Yes I know that Mobilicorpus is used for moving a standing body, but I used it here for the sleeping Lily_!


	13. The Best Gift

_A/N: Another short chapter because it was rather long to begin with so it was cut in half…like so…  
_

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_  
**Chapter 13: The Best Gift**_

The Christmas Eve ball and feast for those that stayed behind at school was upon them sooner than they expected for watching movies for the good portion of break could make you lose track of time as it usually did even to wizards and witches. That morning several owls flew into the Great Hall dropping off large to small packages to different people as Sirius looked around watching people opening their early Christmas gifts from the family and friends knowing he wouldn't be getting any from his parents and he was grateful-- if he was to receive anything it probably would be cursed. Grey eyes watched as his friends received gifts from their families; James getting at least several owls at once that trotted over their meal, stepping in his oatmeal that he had been rather looking forward to eating as they bustled around his friend. Even more owls landed onto their meal as they were delivering Lily, Remus and Avril's gifts. Avril getting a few from Stan Mayfield, Ludo Bagman, but more than a good hand full of several large ones from Owen Sirocco making Sirius wonder what the man had sent her.

As she sorted through them, he watched her set off to the side a small package about the size of a picture frame-- it had to have been from her mother that she was refusing to talk to like the rest of them, but her more so than anyone else. At least she wrote to people, but never did she read the letters from her mother instead she opted to quickly crump the parchment up and toss it. Sirius pulled himself from his thoughts when she opened up one of the larger parcels that had been shrunk for it filled out at once to its full size as she tore it open to reveal a stone Pensieve with rune symbols running along its edge. Remus and the others looked quiet confused as to why she had gotten such a present knowing that they were meant for those that found their mind a bit to stretched to look back into their own memories and recount the past. As Remus opened his mouth to ask, Sirius was suddenly bombarded by a pitch-black owl with bright yellow eyes, its foot stuck out waiting patiently for the teen to take its small package off its metaphorical hands.

"Who's that from?" James asked leaning over the table a bit to try to get a look at the writing. Sirius didn't recognize the handwriting in the least.

_Sirius Black_

_Great Hall, Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry_

Tearing open the package he found a carefully wrapped vile of silver like substance with a smaller note attached around its cork.

_Mister Black,_

_I thought given that you don't seem_

_to be close to your parents or for that_

_fact seem to like them that you_

_might like to see this. However, I do_

_ask that you return it promptly for _

_the memory is quite dear to me._

_- Owen Sirocco_

"It's a memory!" Lily said looking rather excited about it. "What does the note say?"

Sirius read the short letter aloud to them, Avril looking rather happy as she pointed to the Pensieve trying to get him to understand the reason she was given the odd gift.

"You think it's about your mum?" James said getting equally excited. "You know Uncle Tully's mates said that he used to fight with your mum all the time!"

The smile already playing at the corners of the black haired teens mouth exploded into a full-blown grin as he thought of watching Avril's father blow his mother back into the lake with the squid. Sirius' eyes glowed like a child's on Christmas morning as he snatched up the vile, grabbing Avril's wrist with his other hand as she picked up the Pensieve following after him. The others stood just as interested chasing after them as their early Christmas presents followed them at Lily's use of the levitating charm.

-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-

Empting the vile's silver substance Sirius watched it float around the already filled Pensieve that Avril had set up in the empty Gryffindor common room. Avril took the Pensieve in her hands and gave it a soft swirl until the figure of Godric 'Tully' Potter looking no more than seventeen rose from the silver color, his voice echoing softly against the huddled teens.

"_If I've got to deal with her bullshit again I'm going to kill her!"_ the miniature Godric's voice snarled before collapsing back into the stone basin.

"Who's first?" Remus asked just as curious as the rest.

Sirius watched Avril's facial expression seeing that she looked at bit shaken by the image of her father in the Pensieve. "You don't have to go if you don't want to." Sirius retorted.

She shook her head and plunged her face into the basin disappearing down into the memory, Sirius following suit as did the others and one by one they landed on the stone floor of the Great Hall that had a few students dotted here and there at each table. It looked as though they had been dropped right back into the Great Hall with its few people that they had been in only a few minutes ago. About to express his question a young woman with pitch-black hair down to the midst of her back caught his eye and he ran to her side.

"Holy shit it's my mum!" Sirius roared. If he had been solid she would have felt the teens fist punch through her back.

James, Remus, Hayden and Lily laughed as they watched their friend punch through her form.

"She looked evil even then!" Sirius sneered as they watched the memory progress on.

_Walburga made her way down to the Slytherin table, slamming her shoulder into a tall black haired youth in his plain black T-Shirt and loose dark jeans as she passed, and a sneer that made any Slytherin proud planted firmly upon her face. The young man growled, wand whipping out ready to throw at hex at her when a sandy blonde boy snatched it from his fingers. _

"_Stop. Not so early in the morning please." He said handing it back to the abashed looking aforementioned teen._

"_If I've got to deal with her bullshit again I'm going to kill her!" the boy snarled practically slamming himself down onto the bench at the Gryffindor table._

_Avril stood close the group at the table watching them along with the rest as they ate through breakfast, the black haired teen snarling and throwing dirty looks to Sirius' mother with pure hatred in his eyes._

"_She might have a crush on you Tully," said a young man similar in height, his brown hair about the length of Sirius' own at the time, smirked getting the horrified look of his friends. "Well think about it. She goes out of her way to bother you when she's the chance. Maybe she's pining over you a bit."_

_Sirius laughed practically falling over at this bit of news, James and the others chucked. _

"_I'm going to blow chunks!" Godric yelled in disgust. "How dare you say such preposterous lies Stan!"_

_Godric's friends laughed at him, Avril recognizing Ludo, Owen and Stan; younger, but still the same. Always cracking jokes._

"_Shut up Potter no one wants to hear you!" Walburga shouted._

_The four friends froze and laughed. "What did I tell you?" Stan said raising his eyebrow._

_Godric froze at his friends' question, a sudden smirk spreading across his face as a wonderful thought came to his mind._

"_Oh no." Owen sighed as his friend's watched their best mate turn._

"What's he gonna do?"_ James asked aloud watching his Uncle shift in his seat. Sirius and the others watched as small smiles played at the corners of their lips._

"_Black!" Godric shouted Sirius jumping at bit at the call of his surname as Walburga turned her head to look up at the teen with hatred that equaled his own. "I know you've a crush on me, but I'm in love with someone else!"_

_Walburga's eyes grew wide in horror, Sirius and James broke out into fits of laughter as Godric pressed on in spite the girl's expression._

"_I can't shag you I'm sorry, it'd just be terrible! I know you want me something fierce, but I'm not for sloppy seconds from a Slytherin!" Godric shouted thankful that none of the teachers had yet entered into the Great Hall that morning for breakfast. By this time James and Sirius were spread out on the floor laughing so hard they had started to get terrible stitches in their sides, Avril grinning from ear to ear, Remus and Lily looking flustered as Hayden laughed outright._

"_YOU SUM OF THE EARTH POTTER!" Walburga bellowed her wand out already as she screamed out a hex. Godric ducked in time, the hex smashing against the wall breaking off large chucks of the stone._

"Holy shit!"_ Sirius cried out watching the duel that started between the two._

"_Here we go again." the sandy blonde sighed pushing his cereal bowl aside. The few people in the hall that morning running for cover as the fight broke out._

"_Diffindo!" Godric yelled, the hex ripping across Walburga's sleeve as blood ran from her open wound that didn't seem to detour the girl._

"_Furnunculus!" she screamed, the jinks hitting some poor Gryffindor girl off guard as Godric had gotten out of the way. Owen and the others already gone, down at the very end of the Gryffindor table._

"Where are the teachers?"_ Lily asked suddenly wondering why the fight was going unnoticed by the proper people._

"_Who cares?" James said as he, Sirius and Hayden cheered as Godric easily leapt out of the way of another hex Sirius' mother was spouting out when suddenly Walburga was hit and small tentacles started to grow out of her face as she fell to the middle of the Great Hall stone floor._

"Ew!"_ Hayden and Lily frowned, Avril scrunching up her nose._

"Sweet!"_ Sirius and James cheered._

_Remus and Avril shook their heads at their friend's._

"_Disgusting!" Ludo frowned looking down to the stunned Slytherin._

"_Who hit her with the other one?" Godric asked and Ludo pointed to Owen with a smirk._

"_I got tired of you two fighting so I hit her with jelly-legs…but I don't think the boils and jelly-legs go to well together." Owen said his eyebrows knitting together._

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Suddenly the six were thrown back onto the floor of the common room in the Gryffindor tower, the large Pensieve sitting before them, the soft silver memory floating along in its base.

"He was kind of cruel." Lily muttered softly

"He was bloody brilliant!" Sirius growled having seen Avril shoot Lily a glare that said pain upon death.

"We should try that out! The boils and jelly-legs at the same time!" James laughed, poking at the memory softly with his wand, dispensing it back into the clear vile before corking it.

"He was like James and Sirius; he just had a mean streak when it came to her. Don't forget to send it back," Remus retorted pointing to the vile. "He said he wanted it back."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," Sirius waved his hand at his friend dismissively. "Avril will give me the address right?"

The young girl nodded her head before standing and taking the Pensieve up into her dorm, and placing it carefully onto her dresser.

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_A/N: Yeah I own the non-cannon people. _

_Read and Review please!_


	14. Let's Make Like a Fabric Softener

A_/N: I'm __**looking for a beta reader**__ for this story after this chapter onwards. I wouldn't want to subject them to check the previous chapters, lol. Quite serious about this though. So PM me or review this chapter._

_I'm looking for someone who will give me idea's and beta reader notes on their thoughts/ways they think I can make it better at the end of the chapter they send back.  
_

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**  
Chapter 14: Let's Make Like a Fabric Softener and Snuggle**

It was February when Avril had let the beans spill about Tully being her father to James who surprisingly did not seem shocked about it when the girl finally decided to start talking. James had in fact told her he had already known having found out when their parents were arguing over whether or not to send her to him the night her life changed.

"You knew the whole time?" she asked weakly, the two alone in one of the unused classrooms she had dragged him into after Potions.

"Yeah." James mumbled trying to find something more interesting on the ground.

"Why didn't you tell me?" she asked

James looked up to her to questioning eyes rather than the angry ones he had expected, "I figured Tully had told you," he said.

Avril shook her head.

"How did you find out?" James asked.

"Dumbledore told me the day he died." Avril mumbled.

James looked flabbergasted. "What?" he demanded. "That means you never knew? The whole time you were with him you never knew?"

His little sister shook her head feebly.

"So, Sirius knows? That's why he's been sort of protecting you lately?" James asked.

"I told him not to tell you," Avril answered. "I was afraid you'd blame me for mom's affair."

The teen looked angry. "Why in the hell would I blame you? You weren't even born yet and I was barely one!" he growled.

Avril shrugged her shoulders softly, her eyes trying to find something more interesting on the floor as her brother had tried.

James suddenly pulled Avril into a hug, "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have yelled, but it's not your fault. It's their fault!" he said softly. "I'm rather happy to have a sister!"

"Promise?" she asked in a whisper hugging him back.

"Yeah." James said. "Mind if I ask why you decided to start talking?"

Avril smiled brightly, her teeth gleaming under the soft light of their wands as she reached into her bag and pulled out a three by five portrait under a glass frame. A young man looking about their age in a plain white shirt and loose Gryffindor colored tie, smiled back up at James.

"'ello James!" the portrait said.

"Uncle Tully?"

"In the flesh---," the portrait smiled. "well at least somewhat."

"Mum sent it to me on Christmas and I never opened it. I completely forgot about it until I was looking through my trunk for something and opened it!" Avril looked more than happy. "He's what got me talking."

James was happy that his sister had some form of her father still with her, but hoped she would not become dependent on it.

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April came as Sirius and Avril were a bit more hot and heavy for two friends then James liked. Sirius was found draped around Avril like an accessory as of late very much to his friend's confusion for Sirius Black was _not_ the drape type. Though his best mate was not attempting to snog her, he was being touchier then Avril's older brother cared for. Especially around dinner, James' eyes narrowed in slits at Sirius, as he made sure his friend did not try anything; they had the final match of the season against Slytherin that day and James did not want to deal with the drama.

"Ready for the match?" Sirius asked James as his friend eyeballed him.

"Yeah!" James said shaking off his thoughts.

Remus looked up from his plate, "Don't get kicked off your broom." he smirked referring to James flying off his broom when Ravenclaws beater smashed into him at their match in February.

"Sod off!" James smirked.

"So, is there a reason why you've become a necklace for Avril, Padfoot?" Peter asked suddenly smiling.

Sirius' arms that were draped over the front of the aforementioned girls shoulders as the two sat straddling the table bench seat together, Avril leaning against him, refused to remove them as their friends stared at them waiting for an answer.

"No reason." Sirius said with smile that played at the corner of his lips. It quickly dropped when Avril suddenly elbowed him.

Remus' eyebrows quirked. "I'm been meaning ask to ask about that, but I didn't want to pry." he said.

"Then don't." said Sirius going back to talking to a fifth year boy that had stopped to ask his older friend about O.W.L.'s.

"Well I am." Hayden retorted from beside Remus, the two holding hands under the table.

"I second that." Morgan replied reaching for her pumpkin juice.

"I third that." Lily smiled sweetly, really wanting to pry, though having a feeling why.

"You're out numbered so give it up. For two people that hated each other as awfully much as you did, it's rather scary to see you two," James swallowed hard. "…_cuddling_."

"We're not cuddling." Avril responded. "Plus, Sirius' version of cuddling has more detailed pervertedness to it. I'm just using him as a back rest."

Sirius smirked at this. "Pervertedness isn't a word, love."

Avril shrugged.

"Yeah and that explains why none of us have seen him ask out, flirt or attempt to snog any girl's as of late?" Remus asked.

A realization suddenly hit the rest of them; there was no way Sirius was going to get out of this one.

The boy sighed and mumbled quickly, "well-I-may-have-asked-her-out-and-she-said-yes." he said into an incoherent sentence.

"What?" Lily asked.

"Excuse me?" James snapped having understood his friend perfectly. "You're dating?"

Sirius and Avril tried to find something more important to look at then their best mate and brother.

"Should have known." Remus said shaking his head going back to his cereal.

"What, I thought you hated him?" asked Morgan, rather stunned by the news, her mouth a gap.

The aforementioned couple began whistling nonchalantly.

"When you first saw her, I told you no!" James spat, "She's off limits and not to mention my baby sister! ---Break up!" he demanded.

"What? No!" Sirius barked looking angry that his friend even had the nerve to demand such a thing.

"Yes! You're just going to use her and once your through, toss her aside like you do every other girl!" James growled standing.

"No I'm not," Sirius snapped, standing too. "she can date whoever she wants!"

"Wait a minute I thought she was dating Lucius?" Hayden piped in.

"No, they were just using each other to piss me and James off and to get Malfoy's girlfriend mad!" Sirius answered quickly.

James opened his mouth to say something when someone cut him off.

"Shouldn't you three be down on the pitch?" a fellow Gryffindor asked as they passed, the small group of friend's taking notice to the large group of people leaving to the Quidditch field.

"We're not done!" James growled, stomping off.

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A/N: DUNDUNDUN!! Oh no's what's going to happen?!?! You'll have to wait to find out! BWAHAHHAHAHA! I'm rather happy to get past the filler chapters to the good stuff I've been eager to write. I was talking to my friend (her penname is soulspoison on here) about the next few chapters and she wants to draw a bit from it! Lol. Can't give too much away! 

If you want to be my beta reader for this story from the next chapter onwards let me know by PMing me or reviewing! Speaking of reviews I realize the more people that get alerts for this story the less that review…I know who you are!! . . .

You know the drill. I own, OC's the plot and not the canon's…yet….

P.S. Watch out for the attack of the flashbacks next chapter!


	15. Boys Are From Cootieland

_A/N: Sorry this might have been up a lot earlier if our internet SBC had decided not to be asshats! I've had no internet for a week and realized that I'm rather empty without it! Lol. So, now that it's back I've got a chapter or two for you. Though I'll post the next chapter later in the next few days. Yeah I've just been writing and working on fanfiction and original fiction all week. dies_

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_**  
Chapter 15: Girls Are From Venus, Boys Are From Cootieland**_

The Gryffindor Quidditch team quickly changed into their robes, Avril's slightly different for she didn't wear a robe, but opted instead just for her pants and jersey of the same loose fabric in red and black, her jersey reading Potter on the back in white print like her brothers. Less wind factor for her riding style, she had convinced Madame Hooch.

James gave the team a rousing pep talk as he and the others adjusted their fingerless gloves.

"Let's get out there and win this one. We need to be at least sixty points ahead before you get the snitch Avril." James said looking at his sister who merely nodded her head.

Charlie Hughes smiled faintly at Avril, the third year girl looking like she was about to faint.

"What's wrong?" Avril whispered to her as James continued his speech, telling them they would do fine as long as they remembered the plays they practiced.

"I've heard the Slytherin chasers like to try and hex you off your broom," she mumbled. "I've no desire to go hitting the ground from a good four-hundred foot drop."

"Don't worry about it. Just keep your eyes open and remember what James said." Avril whispered.

"Drop, tuck and roll?" Charlie asked raising her eyebrow, chuckling softly. "I thought that was only if you were on fire?"

Avril laughed aloud just as James ended his speech.

"Well at least Potter has got the idea," Moody chuckled. "laugh all the negative shit off."

The girls looked at each other and laughed, knowing that the more than likely negative booing from the Slytherin crowd had nothing to do with their laughter.

"What's so funny?" Sirius asked as they left the locker room.

"James drop, tuck and roll method." Charlie snickered.

"I thought that was if you were on fire." Sirius laughed.

"So did I." said Charlie.

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The whistle blew and the teams were off, fourteen people and Madame Hooch soared into the sky that early evening for the last game of the season. The crowd roared, cheering on their teams as James raced towards the Slytherin goals, the quaffle tucked in his arm as he tried to out maneuver Slytherin's keeper.

"James Potter has the quaffle and is heading for the goal and he shoots and---," yelled the announcer in the teachers box. "it's been blocked by Slytherin's keeper, whatever-his-name-is!"

The Gryffindor crowd booed as the Slytherin supporters cheered veraciously.

Avril watched the game from her stance upon her broom, looking for the golden snitch when the suddenly the feeling of someone or something approaching at high speed grabbed her attention. The girl turned her head to see Slytherin's beater Michael Marks grinning broadly apparently happy that the Gryffindor seeker was not watching her flank as the bludger zoomed to collide with her skull. Suddenly Mundungus' face soared into view and he easily blocked the bludger and even in the process managed, nearly knocking one of the opposing teams chaser's off his broom.

"Watch what you're doin'!" he bellowed as he shot away down towards the pitch.

Avril ignored him, as she soared around the pitch, keeping her eye upon Slytherin's seeker, watching him looking about the pitch as desperate as she was. The buzzer when off suddenly, and the Gryffindor stands booed and hissed in a terrible symphony.

"You've gotta me fuckin' kidding me!" screamed the announcer.

"Miss Fredericks!" yelled McGonagall, their voices carrying through the microphone.

"Hayden?" Avril mumbled looking down to the stands and spotting Remus laughing at his girlfriend along with Peter and Morgan; Lily looking a bit more abashed by her friend's antics. Sirius and James laughed to themselves while they flew the pitch, weaving in and out of the players.

"_Sixty points ahead."_ Avril reminded herself. "_Gotta fend off another seeker until we're sixty points ahead…James you bloody moron!"_

The buzzer when off again and the stands cheered and booed.

"Gryffindor's newest Chaser Charlie Hughes scores the first points for Gryffindor this game!" Hayden yelled over the microphone. "It's ten to ten!"

Avril kept her eyes peeled as she watched the Slytherin seeker flying about the pitch looking for the object of their desire while she stayed still, high above the ongoing action. She would be able to spot the Golden Snitch if it came from out of bounds, which it was at the current moment, the girl's eyes having caught it at the start of the game. There was no reason to go after it, or even give the inkling that she knew where it was, just so long as the other Seeker did not find it. Being a vampire did have its benefits. Like perfect eyesight and great reflexes, though the cons outweighed the pros in larger scales.

The stands packed with people all drew in an air of breath together.

"Ow, that's gotta hurt!" Hayden said over the microphone or what appeared to be one. "Slytherin's Chaser Brad Ashford not paying any attention like usual took a bludger in the stomach, hit by Sirius Black!"

Some of the girls in the stands screamed out for Sirius despite them being on opposing sides.

"Don't get into a huff ladies, he's not that good lookin'!" Hayden's voice carried, practically every girl gasping that the announcer said such a thing. "Sirius Black, resident playboy would shag anything that moves, so watch out now! The resident squid might be in trouble if Black hasn't gotten to it already!"

"MISS FREDERICKS!" screamed McGonagall over the speakers.

"He's currently dating Gryffindor's seeker Avril Potter." Hayden ignored McGonagall and pressed on. "I really mean dating, no let me make you another notch on my bedpost kind of datin' here folks. Congrats to Avril for dating such a perverted, self loving, bigheaded, egotistical git who thinks with the wrong head!"

"FREDERICKS!" McGonagall screamed as the crowd roared with laughter.

"DON'T HIT ME PROFESSOR, DON'T HIT ME!!" Hayden screamed bloody murder over the microphone. The pitch cried out in hilarity as well while Avril rested her eyes on Sirius' laughing form.

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_The common room was empty for the exception of Sirius and Avril, the two sitting in silence as the fire crackled and roared in fits. It was a nice change to the usual boisterous activity going on in the Gryffindor tower. Sirius watched as Avril stretched out across the couch, her painted toes pointing as she did so, her tongue sticking out of her mouth as she yawned like a cat would and Sirius couldn't help but chuckle at her antics._

_Sirius suddenly took a seat on the low coffee table in front of the couch, blocking the girl's view of the fire and breaking its trance on her as he smiled warmly, trying to put to use his charm that had worked on so many girl's before her._

"_I've wanted to ask you something." Sirius said, running his fingers through his hair._

"_Okay." Avril mumbled, the girl having started to talk had made Sirius rather happy, but at the same time, he knew she would not need him anymore. She seemed to have moved on with her father's death and would not need him to look after her. A bit of what had been in her eyes before it all had seemed to return, but something seemed to be missing. As if she was dull from all the lies and pain the man's death had caused._

"_Well ah…actually I was ah…" Sirius stammered._

'_What the hell is wrong with me? Why am I stumbling over my words, it's not that hard to ask her out!' Sirius' mind screamed at him._

"_I was wondering if you'd ah…if you'd…" Sirius stammered again._

'_Get a hold of yourself, Sirius, she's only a girl...well she's my best mates sister and he'd probably kill me if he knew what I was about to ask. Okay his little sister that even though he said he hated in the beginning was still protective of her and now that their sibling bondy thing seems to be okay, he really will kill me. Nix that, he'd skin me alive and then cut me up into pieces while I was still alive and then feed me to Remus during the full moon!' Sirius thought to himself, frowning a bit._

"_Wondering what?" Avril asked sitting up, her right leg landed between Sirius' legs due to the closeness of the coffee table to the couch._

"_I was wondering if you'd…go out with me?" he asked, raising an eyebrow, swallowing hard. When Avril did not respond, but merely stared at him with a blank expression he pressed on. "I don't mean go out on a date, though there would be dates, if you want to go out with me that is, not that I wouldn't go on a date with you if we weren't together cause I would. What I mean is…ah forget it. It's coming out all wrong." Sirius made to stand, but Avril grabbed his wrists keeping him in place._

"_Sure." She chuckled, her blue eyes catching the fires light, twinkling a bit like Dumbledore's often did._

_Sirius smiled broadly, "Cool." He said his eyes wondering to her lips as the silence between the two started to get a mite uncomfortable._

_Before either, one knew what was happening; Sirius leaned in, his lips pressing against Avril's in an avid kiss that was full of enthusiasm and eagerness and as she pulled away, Sirius opened his eyes to see that she had never closed her own in fact. It was sometimes better to keep your eyes open then to close them and get lost in a kiss. _

"_You don't know how long I've wanted to do that." he practically whispered his face still close to her own._

_Her eyebrow cocked, "Been having naughty fantasies about me?" she asked, chuckling softly._

_Sirius nodded his head a little, smiling and Avril's face dropped. "I don't even wanna ask!" she said leaning into the couch._

"_Sure you do!" Sirius retorted laughing as the girl rolled her eyes and shook her head._

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"Kingsley Shacklebolt has got the quaffle and he's off!" yelled Hayden after a bit of an upset of McGonagall hitting her over the head with the scorecards. "Go, GO, GO!! YOU CAN DO IT KINGSLEY!!"

The buzzer sounded again. "Twenty to ten in favor of _GRYFFINDOR!_" cheered Hayden, the fellow Gryffindor's joining in her cheers and screams.

"_Seventy, at seventy I can go for it!"_ Avril thought, her eyes still on the Slytherin Seeker.

"Ladies and gentlemen, Avril Potter has not moved once from her position high above the game. Could she even see the Golden Snitch if she wanted to?" asked Hayden's voice over the loud speakers. "Chad Ackerley the Slytherin Seeker seems to be desperately looking for the Golden Snitch while Potter remains calm looking! What is she thinking?"

Again the buzzer sounded. "Thirty to ten all for Gryffindor!" the loud speakers bellowed.

"Four more, four more." mumbled Avril.

"Ashford's got the quaffle and he's heading for Gryffindor's hoops! DON'T LET HIM IN MOODY!! DON'T DO IT!" screamed the announcer again. "HOLY SHIT, JAMES POTTER HAS STOLEN THE QUAFFLE RIGHT OUT FROM UNDER ASHFORD'S NOSE! GO JAMES; GET YOUR ASS OVER THERE JAMES--- SCORE!!! JAMES' SCORED, FORTY TO TEN!!! SWEET JESUS YES!!!" McGonagall seemed to give up on Hayden's finer language use because she was cheering just as hard, completely out of her normal posture of complete calm and clarity. She was jumping up and down and screaming just as loud!

"Three more." Avril reminded herself when suddenly Slytherin's seeker spotted the snitch and all her warning bells went off.

She was gone in seconds.

"BOTH SEEKERS HAVE SPOTTED THE SNITCH!" Hayden screamed, "LOOK AT THEM GO! I'VE NEVER SEEN SPEED LIKE THIS BEFORE!!" she cried through the speakers. The spectators looked up into the sky and watched Avril from her high position above the game rocket to the ground at a veracious speed, the wind abruptly gone in her wake as she went past like a bullet; seconds later it hit the stands, bellowing down upon them like a sonic boom.

She had to hurry. She had to make it; she was completely down at the other end of the pitch, the opposite end of where the snitch was hovering. She had to make it; she had to hurry! Ackerley's fingers were reaching out for it as he drew closer, only a few more inches and he would have it.

'BOOM!' thunder rolled overhead and lightening suddenly crackled. No one had even seen the storm approaching, the school to wrapped up in the game. Even Dumbledore had not taken notice to the skies ominous look. The thunder had startled Ackerley and the Snitch had gotten away from him; both he and Avril practically came to a screeching halt in mid-air. Both tried to ascend into the sky when out of the blue lighting struck down to the right of the pair, Ackerley slamming into Avril to dodge the lightening sending them both flying into the teachers box, crashing into the lot of them. The girl's broom flying off into one direction as she crashed, Ackerley lucky enough to keep a hold of his own as they fell tangled up in each other's limbs and others as well.

"Are you alright?" asked Dumbledore rising, lifting them by the elbows off the people they had crashed into it.

"Fine." growled Ackerley smirking broadly as he knew the girl had lost her broom as he jumped back onto his own and was gone.

"Son of a bitch!" cried out Avril as she stepped hesitantly to the edge of the teacher and announcer's box.

Avril's sweeper was charmed with a location spell, to come to her as all Salem Witches Institute Quidditch brooms were, but if it were knocked off course and was struck by lightning or worse, hit the Whopping Willow she'd have no chance. Her second sweeper would not make it to her in time. She hoped for the best as she backed up the slopping floor of the teacher and announcers box.

"Forty to twenty!" yelled McGonagall through the microphone as the buzzer went off yet again, for Hayden was rather distracted trying to figure out what her friend was going to do.

Avril caught sight of her broom shooting towards her far off from the other side of the pitch, near the Hufflepuffs where it had landed.

She could not wait; she would have to meet it half way and she without warning tore down the sloping floor and soared out into the sky, her legs and arms pumping forward in circular movement as though it might help her through the empty sky.

She maybe a vampire, but she certainly could not fly on her own. 

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_A/N: I realized how much I love my stupid chapter titles. Haha ha. Anyways….Dundundun!! What's gonna happen?!!! You'll have to wait and find out!_

_Also thanks for all the reviews and watches and stuff!! Believe me or not, but it really inspires me to write more when people let me know that they like it!_


	16. Controlling the Playground

_A/N: Yeah I still love my chapter titles. Lol. Nonetheless, I another chapter with some quidditch! A bit long on my end, though it may not be on your end. Oh well. Hope you enjoy! Let me know if you do!!_

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_**  
Chapter 16: Controlling the Playground- Respect through Fear **_

Several people screamed out in fear, most of the teachers gasping while they watched their student practically committing suicide as she soared through the air, high from the teacher's box far to high from the ground for someone to survive hitting, even if a vampire.

"Oh my god!" screamed Lily pointing to her friend's sailing form though the sky, her broom nowhere in sight.

The red head quickly buried her face against Remus' shoulder, not wanting to watch her friend hit the ground or hear the sickening crunch of her body crumpling against it as she feared it would. Hearing the screams from the crowd, James whipped around to see a horrified look on Sirius' face; James' eyes followed his friend's line of vision to watch his sister soar through the sky without her broom in sight. Thunder boomed overhead as lightening cracked across the darkening sky while James felt his heart ripping from his chest.

"No, Avril!" he cried out when suddenly her broom whizzed past his vision, slamming itself up into Avril's feet that unexpectedly stayed firmly in place, her body bent low as her fingers wrapped around the handle between her trainers and she zipped past at an ungodly speed. "That idiot I'll kill her!" he spat, turning back to the game.

The crowd went wild, most with relief as she rocketed past them and dove after Ackerley, flying alongside him.

"Miss me?" she asked, grinning broadly at his confused expression. "You can't get rid of me that easily."

"Well, now that we've been thoroughly scared out of our wits, let's see if we can get back to the game." Hayden's voice said shakily over the speakers.

"Thank, Merlin." McGonagall mumbled, her hand pressed against her chest.

"I said she had a lot of talent." Dumbledore smiled softly looking down at McGonagall over his half moon spectacles.

Lightening cracked overhead and suddenly rain poured out of the April sky, like buckets that had been full of water finally giving way to its weight as it tipped over, drenching the quidditch players, teachers and students alike. Still the game surged on and still the teachers and students watched their fellow classmates fight the good fight.

"FIFTY TO TWENTY!" screamed Hayden after James had once again gotten the quaffle through one of Slytherin's hoops.

"Three more." Avril mumbled to herself.

As the wind whipped the rain into her face, her long black hair pulled back at the base of her neck was coming undone. Strands of hair plastered to her face and down the front of her sleeveless red and black jersey that read Gryffindor on the front and Potter on the back in bold white text, while the cold rain would have made anyone else cold, Avril did not mind it. She was cold already as it was, that happened when you were dead already, hot, fresh blood the only thing that would make her skin hotter than anyone else's. Sure, her temperature was usually below room temperature, but she was _not_ as cold as death as she was now with the rain and wind adding to it.

"Hughes had the quaffle thanks to Fletcher whose Bludger hit Dallin Finley and she-- nearly missed but scored!!" cheered Hayden through the torrential down pour. "SIXTY TO TWENTY!"

"Two more." said Avril, her eyes unexpectedly catching sight of the snitch, but seemingly, Ackerley had not.

In the opposite direction she went, Ackerley giving chase just as she had hoped; and down she flew dodging past Kingsley, rolling out of reach of a well hit bludger by Sirius that headed for the Slytherin beater Marks. Ackerley right on her tail as she dove faster towards the ground her fingers outstretched to reach for nothing but air as the ground neared. Ackerley still right behind her like a mini mambo line and with a sudden hard push down with her foot against the base of her sweeper she leveled out just as Ackerley seemed to realize what she had been doing, trying to level himself out as well. Crashing into the ground, the Slytherin Seeker flew a good few hundred yards off from where his broom smashed into pieces on the pitch below.

"WAS THAT A WRONSKI FEINT?" screamed Hayden, standing up in the rain, the microphone held tightly in her hands. "IT WAS! THAT WAS A WRONSKI FEINT! HOLY FUCKIN' SHIT!!"

"HAYDEN FREDERICKS THAT IS ENOUGH!" yelled McGonagall trying to snatch the microphone from Hayden's hand's but to no avail as the young girl jumped out of the way, running up the slopping floor.

"SLYTHERIN'S SEEKER IS OFFICIALLY OUT OF THE GAME UNLESS THERE'S A BROOM SOMEWHERE NEARBY, BUT I DON'T THINK SLYTHERIN'S CAPTAIN THOUGHT OUR OWN GRYFFINDOR SEEKER WOULD DO A WRONSKI FEINT! OH SHIT MOTHER OF MERCY IT'S PRACTICALLY OFFICIAL THAT GRYFFINDOR HAS WON SO LONG AS OUR CHASER'S CAN NAIL DOWN THOSE POINTS!!" Hayden screamed triumphantly, ducking out of McGonagall's reach yet again. "C'MON CHARLIE, JAMES AND KINGSLEY, KICK THEIR ASS, KICK THEIR FUCKIN' ASS!!! HOLY MOTHER OF MERCY SEVENTY TO TWENTY!"

The buzzer had gone off yet again giving tell that it was indeed seventy to twenty in favor of Gryffindor while Avril sailed around the pitch, close to the ground. Her eyes watched the storm rage overhead as lighting etched across the sky showing the large dark rain clouds above that threatened more severe rain.

"Shit, seventy to thirty!" Hayden growled, several cusses coming out in a flurry.

"Fredericks you've got the dirtiest mouth in history!" McGonagall cried out over the speakers yet again.

"Yeah, but my boyfriend loves it!" Hayden laughed dodging McGonagall's grasping reach once more and Avril laughed knowing that Remus' face was probably beet red with embarrassment.

"We do not need your sexual references!" snapped McGonagall

"I wasn't talking about sex, I was saying that he liked that I cussed a lot is all! That was all you McBatty!" laughed Hayden, the soaking wet crowd roaring out in laughter.

"Mc…McBatty?!" screamed McGonagall while Dumbledore merely chuckled to himself. "A month's worth of detention Fredericks, you hear me?"

"Yay, a month with McBatty!!" the white-silver haired girl cheered in laughter as she turned back to the game. "Yes, Kingsley has the quaffle and he nearly is hit by a bludger and he-- scores! YES, EIGHTY TO THIRTY! Moreover, Finley has the quaffle and the girl is heading for the Gryffindor hoops, let's hope Moody doesn't let it in and he--- doesn't! YES! CHARLIE HAS THE QUAFFLE AND SHE IS FLYING UP THE PITCH AND IT SEEMS SLYTHERIN'S KEEPER ISN'T EVEN PAYING ANY ATTENTION AND SHE SCORES!! GOD DAMNIT IT YES IT'S NINETY TO THIRTY! SHIT IT'S RAINING REALLY HARD I CAN'T TELL IF AVRIL POTTER HAS SPOTTED THE SNITCH, HAS SHE?"

Avril had and she was off after it, her fingers stretching out as she flew higher into the sky and higher still, lightening struck to her left, the light practically blinding her, the snitch only inches away while thunder roared around her. She shot through a dense cloud, losing sight of the Golden Snitch for but a second, before spotting it, still soaring higher as the air began to get a bit thinner. How high had she flown? Was she already in the first stratosphere? That could not be possible, but the air was thinning as the lightening was blinding her to the same extent the hammering rain slashed at her skin, the air slicing at her right cheek, a gash from the top of her cheekbone to her jaw line ripped open. Another cut lacerated across her forehead as she thought her skin could no longer take the speed and thrashing of the sky her fingers closed around the Golden Snitch, its wings fluttering madly between her fingers and she fell from the sky in a graceful ark as relief set in.

Below the clouds, some people watched waiting on baited breath for the return of the Gryffindor Seeker as the game played on below. One of the few people that had seen the young girl disappear into the clouds was Dumbledore and his dark blue eyes watched, waiting to see that his student would come back to the pitch safely.

"Ninety to forty!" shouted McGonagall who had taken away the microphone from Hayden just before a Slytherin chaser shot the quaffle past Moody to score.

It did not take long for McGonagall to shout out again. "Ninety to fifty!"

"I hope she's alright." Lily mumbled from beside Remus huddled under his cloak that he held above their heads.

"So do I." Remus said looking to the sky.

"We all do." Morgan retorted huddling in next to Lily, leaning her head against her friend's shoulder.

"One hundred and ten to fifty!" yelled the Professor over the microphone cheering quite loudly. "Double play, quite good Hughes, quite good!"

"There she is!" shouted someone off to Lily and Remus' left, the young boy pointing to the sky and the falling Avril who looked to have no control over her broom for she was diving head first towards the ground.

"Not again!" Morgan cried out when suddenly Avril twisted her body around forcing her broom beneath her and she landed onto the pitch holding the Golden Snitch up high for people to see.

Madame Hooch's whistle went off signaling the end of the game.

"Potter has caught the snitch! Gryffindor has won the game and the house cup!" McGonagall practically screamed, nearly jumping up and down, which was very much unlike her.

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The teams landed and James bum rushed his sister, yanking her into a fierce hug as he swinging her around, shouting, "We did it, we did it, we did it!" before letting her go to attack his other teammates. Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw and Gryffindor's alike were rushing down onto the pitch shouting and waving their Gryffindor colored flags lifting some of the members up onto their shoulders. It was ridiculous or at least Avril thought so because it was not as if it was a professional quidditch match, but oh well.

"You git I can't believe you jumped right out of the teachers box!" Sirius cried out, wrapping his arms about Avril as the rain still poured down on them.

"Well you know, gotta go out with a bang!" she smiled weakly, her limbs were killing her and the lacerations on her face were not healing as quickly as she would have liked. Blood caked and running a bit down her face, though Sirius did not seem to have taken notice as he smashed his lips against hers in celebration.

"We won, we won!" cried Morgan, pulling at Avril detaching her from Sirius, Hayden soon attacking her friend shaking her madly.

"You pulled out all the stops!" Hayden shouted still shaking her friend.

Avril smiled weakly and tried to pull herself from Hayden's grasp. "No not all of them." Avril said, her legs killing her. All she wanted was to get inside and lay in front of the fire, she was freezing also; she was sure some of her hair was frozen.

"You did it James you did it!" Lily's voice cheered as she suddenly swept James up into a kiss.

James stood there for a few good seconds completely at a loss and by the time he tried to return the kiss, attempting to wrap his arms about his affection, Lily pulled away shocked at her own behavior.

"That never happened!" she shouted turning and running to her stunned group of friend's.

James suddenly got a stupid grin on his face and started to laugh valiantly. "YES!" he shouted jumping up and down, shooting his fists into the air.

Avril smirked, "Well I guess that's enough commotion for me," she said looking at Sirius. "tell the others I've gone up." Abruptly someone's shoulder smashed into her chest with great force, causing the girl to stumble back in her friend Morgan.

"Mudblood and blood traitor!" Michael Marks growled loud enough for Morgan and Avril to hear.

Morgan suddenly looked down to the ground as though something more interesting was at her feet. Avril knew well enough that Morgan had muggle parents, but to call her a mudblood to her face--- that was something else entirely and to call Avril a blood traitor! She knew the words well, having been called it several times while in the States, more so by her enemies and before Avril could stop herself she reached out and snatched Sirius' bat from his loose fingers.

'CRACK!'

The bat collided with Marks' right shoulder, throwing the seventh year boy into a headlong stumble. Before the older teen could stand up completely the black haired girl threw herself at him, jumping onto his back, the bat still in her hands swooped under his chin, pressing against his throat and the girl held tight, growling an infinity of cusses.

"FIGHT!" someone shouted.

"SHE'S CHOKING HIM!" a Slytherin girl cried out as Marks' tried to fight off the Gryffindor Seeker throwing his elbows into her sides.

"You good for nothing piece of trash!" Avril growled in his ear. "I'll make you eat those words you piece of shit!"

"FIGHT, FIGHT, FIGHT, FIGHT, FIGHT!" the crowd of people that had surrounded the two screamed and cheered.

Somehow, Avril was thrown off the other teen and he began to pummel her, the boy having no problems that she was a girl. Several people yanked at him as the teen covered herself as best as possible to block his punches.

"Your blood traitor of a boyfriend let's you fight, huh?" Marks growled knocking a well laid punch to her stomach, which knocked the air out of the girl.

"She can take care of herself, but I thought I'd join in!" snapped Sirius' standing above Avril defensively as he pulled back his fist, landing it squarely on Marks' jaw. More fights broke out between the Slytherin and the Gryffindor teams and Avril stood back up, pushing Sirius out of the way her left hand took its course and with all her strength, she dealt Marks an uppercut to the jaw, which sent the teen flying, the wind knocked out of him as he hit the ground hard.

"I told you I'd make you eat your words." she spat, hoping his teeth cracked and broke and that he would need to have his jaw wired shut. She hoped.

The fights going on around her suddenly stopped and everyone seemed to be frozen in mid-motion.

"Miss Potter," Dumbledore said making his way towards her. "to my office please."

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Dumbledore looked at the mud and blood covered girl from behind his moon spectacles, and sighed softly to himself, taking a seat at his desk. Fawkes shifted softly on his perch, watching the girl closely.

"Would you like to explain your actions?" he asked folding his hands in front of his face.

"Marks called Morgan a mudblood and me a blood traitor." she said matter-of-factly standing before his large polished old oak desk.

"I see." He said softly. "Those words are very offensive, but if you keep going about hurting everyone that calls you or a friend of yours that, then you will be fighting practically the whole wizarding community."

"Good thing I'm strong then them." she scoffed, refusing to look anywhere else, but at the Headmaster, refusing to be belittled and cornered by him.

"Yes you are stronger than most." Dumbledore said, peering past her at the small gold and silver trinkets along the glass cabinet walls.

A long silence fell between the two as the portraits of previous Headmasters and Headmistress' listened in, waiting for one of the two to speak again.

"So what are you gonna do, expel me?" Avril asked breaking the slightly awkward silence.

Dumbledore's dark blue eyes twinkled a bit before he said, "No I won't be expelling you. Instead you'll be paying any hospital bills that Mister Marks might get because of your…upper cut." The corners of his lips twitched a bit trying to form a small smile that he seemed to force away. "You'll also have detention for the remainder of the term and the next few months start of next term under Professor McGonagall's guidance."

"What?" Avril nearly shouted. "What about Marks! He pummeled me too! And what about the others that were fighting?!"

"Mister Marks will be dealt with, but as for the others, I believe they would not have started fighting if you had not instigated it." Dumbledore retorted.

"So I'm the escape goat?" the teen shouted. "Using me as an example are you?! That's a load of bullocks!"

Dumbledore sighed softly yet again and he said, "Be that as it may, this is your punishment. Your head of house, Professor McGonagall will decide how severe your detentions shall be,"

Avril growled, her eyes drilling holes into the older man's head.

"Go to the infirmary and get yourself cleaned up and then straight to bed with yourself." said Dumbledore.

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When breakfast rolled around Saturday morning, people were patting her on the back, congratulating her on the win, others telling her she had balls of steal for punching Marks' lights out. By the time she got to her seat at the Gryffindor table her back and shoulders were smarting, not that they were not already, but more so then earlier. For some reason her cuts and bruises were not healing as quickly and Avril wondered when the last time was that she took her potion.

"Bloody brilliant!" Hayden said from her seat next to Remus, across from Avril. "I never thought I'd see a man fly without his broom!"

"I hear he's in Mungo's!" Peter piped up. "Has to get his teeth re-grown because you broke 'em when you hit him!"

"Great." Avril mumbled thinking about the hospital bill she would get.

"That's my girlfriend," Sirius said wrapping his arm around her shoulder. "all guts and no glory!"

Avril smothered her piece of toast with butter and jelly before stuffing her face. "So what did Dumbledore say to you?" asked Morgan.

"Oh just that I've got to pay all of Marks' hospital bills and…," she was cut off by the groups complaining and he-deserved-its. "that I've got detention the rest of term and some more next term until I've learned my lesson."

"Detention next term?!" shouted James. "The first game of new season is in November!"

"Calm down Prongs, let's hope it doesn't last that long." Remus retorted stuffing his face.

James attempted to retaliate when Lily cut him off. "I've been meaning to ask, but what's with the nicknames?"

"What do you mean?" said Peter nervously.

"Yeah I've been wondering about that too." said Hayden and Avril in unison, Morgan nodding her head in agreement, unable to speak at the time with eggs full in her mouth.

"Well you guys call each other these weird nicknames, like Prongs, Wormtail, Moony and Padfoot." Lily replied watching their expressions.

James and the others laughed nervously.

Avril eyeballed Sirius, "I always hear Remus and the others call you Padfoot," she said looking him up and down. "but the only things that have pads on their feet are some animals….are you an animagus?"

Remus and James snorted out their pumpkin and orange juice, spraying it across the table and covering Lily, Sirius and Avril's faces.

"Thanks." Lily mumbled wiping off her face as the other two did as well.

"She was right wasn't she?!" Hayden asked getting excited, while Remus looked to be getting worried.

"What are you? What can you turn into?" asked Avril when a realization suddenly spread across her face. "You were that black mutt by the Black Lake that kept trying to nuzzle me a few months after my fa-- Uncles death!"

Sirius' looked flustered when James unexpectedly let the whole thing go. "You were trying to nuzzle on her? …shit." he said realizing what he had done.

"Sweet what can the rest of you turn into?" asked Morgan

"What's wrong Remus?" Hayden all of a sudden asked, holding onto her boyfriend's slightly shaking hand, his best mates looking to him.

"Nothing." Remus retorted, his heart pounding against his rib cage. He would have to tell her…he knew it would come down to this, but they had been so happy, she made him so happy, but she would run when she found out. She would not even look at him anymore.

"We can't tell you." Peter suddenly said softly looking down into his bowl of cereal.

"Why not?" Lily asked.

"We just can't so leave it at that." James retorted, shifting through his own cereal.

"Alright." the girls mumbled, diving back into their cereal, the group in a stifling silence. 

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A/N: Belive it or not, but my computer cut off when I was writing this chapter, right in the middle of typing a sentence! I was glad I had saved like a paragraph back, but the whole paragraph that I hadn't saved yet was gone! 

- I own all OC's and the plot. I don't however own any canon's you might find in here.

You think she figured it out a bit to easily? Let me know and I might re-write it.


	17. Seeing Things

_A/N: Sort of long chapter, but not really super long like the last one! Well I updated and here it is! I had half of this chapter already done when I put up chapter 15 and 16, it just needed to be finished up. Changed it around from the direction I was originally going to go, because I didn't want to give too much away to early._

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_**  
Chapter 17: Seeing things**_

It was finally June and only a few days away from the last of the month and the last of their sixth year; how it flew by with such ease, though the times were a bit harsher then some were use to. The impending fear of their seventh and final year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry where setting heavy on the sixth years that month, knowing it was just two months away that they would become seventh years and then in ten more months would it all be over. Though the seventh years were busy with the two day N.E.W.T testing, several looked thoroughly thrashed by the testing while others cried over it. Even some fainted in the middle of lunch while studying between testing. None of the sixth years looked forward to that next term, though Lily looked worse every day just thinking about it. Before they realized it, the term was over and the seventh years had graduated, some going straight onto their careers of choice while others would set off for home for a few months before going off to work in the Wizarding community. It could be said that most would end up working for the Ministry of Magic in one form or another.

The end of term feast was boisterous as it always was each year, the experience new to Avril while this was only her first term with Hogwarts, but the girl happy to know another would soon follow close behind, she secretly wished there had been others. Avril watched her friend's laughing around her, James bum rushing Lily with an assault of will-you-go-out-with-me questions right after he hexed some unsuspecting Slytherin only moments ago in the corridor before entering to the Great Hall. Remus and Hayden in a hushed discussion as the silver-white haired girl leaned again her boyfriends shoulder, listening to him intently. Peter and Morgan both piled food onto their plates, while Morgan's boyfriend sat beside her shaking his head with laughter.

"Not hungry?" Sirius asked Avril, their fingers intertwined beneath the table as their thighs pressed together.

"Just thinking is all." she said loading her plate with food with her free hand.

Sirius nodded his head in understanding, not pressing the issue as most boys did, not wanting to dive any farther into the matter when food was around.

Dumbledore rose as the dessert filled the tables a few hours after the meal and gave a rousing speech about the great times the seventh years would always remember having while at Hogwarts and that, that years Quidditch was the best he had seen in quite some time. Several students laughed looking over to where Avril sat with her group of friends, the Slytherin table not all to happy with the reminder of their loss, ignored the laughter digging into their dessert.

Sixth year had certainly been interesting.

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The train ride home on the Hogwarts Express was rather silent in their compartment, that being the first time Avril ever rode a train she thought to ask one of her friend's if there was a dinning compartment when an older woman passed by their closed door asking if anyone wanted something from the trolley. Avril promptly stood throwing back the door, rushing the woman for several chocolate frogs and several turkey sandwiches; the others buying a few things as well before the door closed again and they were shut into their silence that was becoming awkward.

"So what is everyone doing this summer?" Lily asked finally breaking the silence.

"I'm going to Paris with my father and little sister." Morgan smiled warmly.

"Paris, that's sounds so beautiful!" Lily and Hayden exclaimed.

"Yeah doesn't it? We're leaving as soon as I get home!" said Morgan.

"I just going home to rest and relax," Remus retorted. "no running around the school at all hours of the night to worry about."

James, Peter and Remus laughed at this. "I've tried talking him into coming to visit me, but he won't, says it's too far!" Hayden pouted.

"Well when you live on an island between Greece and Turkey I would too." Avril smiled softly.

"Where?" James asked cocking an eyebrow.

"My parents own a nearly empty island in the Aegean Sea between Greece and Turkey. They rent out the Villa's on there for witches, wizards and muggles looking to get away…for something more _exotic_," she said making a face as her hand traced an hourglass figure in the air. "it's rather boring out there, but then again all my brothers are coming home this summer so…"

"Even Cole?" Avril asked remember the eldest of the Fredericks clan of siblings.

"Yeah, says he misses everyone." Hayden smiled, missing her oldest brother.

"Bet the twins are happy about that." mumbled Avril.

"Not so much." said Hayden.

"So where are you going?" asked Avril, looking to Sirius as he rested his arm around her shoulders.

"To my own flat." he smiled broadly at this declaration.

Several questioning glances went out, the small group knowing that Sirius had run away from home and had been staying with James as of late.

"My Uncle left me a bit of money when he passed to help me along. So I got a flat in Diagon Alley above Borgin and Burkes that they were renting out during our last Hogsmeade visit," he explained as the train pumped onwards, "what about the rest of you?" Sirius asked looking between his friend's.

"Home to sleep like hell." James retorted.

"Going to visit my grandmother in Wales." Lily replied.

"I've got to go see my grandparent all this summer." Peter frowned heavily; Remus, Sirius and James chuckled and laughed at their friend's misfortune, knowing that the boy hated his mean, belittling grandparents.

"Back to the States," said Avril. "my…our Uncle had a house there and he left it to me. It's in San Francisco, California."

"I completely forgot about that!" James mumbled.

"How are you planning to get there?" Morgan asked "I mean I thought oversea travel is really hard to do, unless you're going the muggle way."

Avril shrugged while she said, "Portkey."

"…Portkey?" it was Remus' turn to ask, as he unwrapped a chocolate frog.

"Yeah. I've got a Portkey that Madame Fangrey gave to me," Avril explained. "it will take me to S.W.I first then I can fly down under a disillusion charm."

"I've always wanted to see what Salem Witches Institute looks like!" Lily gushed, her eyes glazing over with the thought.

"So have I," Remus retorted, "I hear that they've the largest library in Wizarding history."

James and Sirius shook their heads, "Bookworms." they mumbled.

"I hear the girl's there are _really_ hot!" James laughed, making signs with his hands to indicate large breasts and Sirius barked out continues laughter shared between the two.

"Giving up on Lily?" asked Hayden

At this James looked over to Lily that was sitting across from him with her lips in sneer, "Well she wants to completely deny that she kissed me and won't even go out on one little date with me, so why not." he said shrugging his shoulders.

Lily suddenly shot her fists into the air. "YES!"

James frowned and turned his head to look out the window at the moving landscape as the sky was darkening. "We must be getting close, it's getting dark." He mumbled.

"So does that mean the two of you are going together?" Lily asked looking between the brother and sister.

"Yeah," said James as he watched the landscape move past the glass window. "mum doesn't want her to be alone."

"Oh," Lily said nodding her head in understanding as she watched the aforementioned girl roll her eyes. "so that's why you two don't have your trunks with you."

"Yup." Avril said.

"Best to send them on, than to have to try and land with 'em when we port to S.W.I." James retorted.

"Makes sense." Remus smiled softly.

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As the train left them at the station, people rushing to their families while others slowly made their way to them, Avril bustled past the others, grabbing onto Remus' arm as he disappeared into the crowd.

"Remus I want to give you something." she said, Remus giving a rather confused look as the younger teen dug through her bag pulling out a large vile of liquid in a light silver and slight green tint of color.

"What…" he questioned shaking his head and his heart raced.

"I figured it out a few days after we asked what your guys' animagus forms were, but you refused to tell us," she explained, putting the vile into his hands. "I figure the bit of it you took from me that day in Potions has long since been gone and I wanted you to have this during the summer."

Remus' face looked as pale as death and if possible paler than Avril herself who but smiled softly. "Suppose it's safe to say Sirius, James and Peter know which would explain why they decided to become animagus'. You don't have to worry about me; I'm not going to tell anyone. What right would I have to tell when you've kept my secret?"

Avril turned, looking around as she watched Remus stuff the vile carefully into his trunk before he said, "I…I…thanks." he smiled weakly.

"Don't worry about it," she said with a smile. "that's what friends are for…or at least that's what I heard!"

Remus chuckled. "Avril…do you think…Hayden could handle it, you know if I told her?" he asked.

The girl shrugged her shoulders, "Who knows, she's been friends with me since I was nine and we still are! And look at what I am!" she laughed. "You'd be surprised what Hayden can handle, she's rather laid back and very accepting…unless of course you're Sirius."

The two laughed as the crowd parted a bit, giving show that Remus' parents were looking for him, as was James for Avril.

"Well I guess I see you back here in September." Remus said, smiling softly.

"Yup," she said, waving to him. "bye!"

Avril made her way over to her brother who was still talking to Sirius adamantly about something, their voices raised slightly, but quickly stopped when they saw her approaching.

"We gotta go." James snapped, tossing his bag over his shoulder as he held out a small miniature broom that read S.W.I in swirly golden printed text. His own sweeper held in his other hand with the strap of his old bag.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, what was that about?" she asked.

"Nothing." the boys said in unison.

"Whatever, if you don't want to say it now, I'm not going to ask again." she clarified, brushing wisps of her black locks over her shoulder.

"Acting like a guy?" Sirius asked, quirking an eyebrow.

"Of course didn't you know?" she asked, "I'm really a guy, baby!" she said dropping her voice a few octaves.

"I think I'm going to be sick." James mumbled rolling his eyes, dropping his out stretched arm to his side.

Sirius chuckled. "I've been deceived!"

The girl merely gave a half-hearted smile and reached out grabbing the miniature broom from James who wrapped his fingers back around it.

"I'll see you in September." she smiled, her lips finding Sirius' own in what was supposed to be a quick peak that quickly turned into a bit more, a soft tingle running through the girl as the boy tried to deepen the kiss.

"Now I'm really going to blow chunks!" James shouted. "My eyes, my eyes!"

The two teens ignored their friend and brothers' rant as they snogged a bit more, but James pretending the throw up drew them apart.

"Fine let's go!" Avril snapped.

"See ya!" Sirius smirked before walking away to give them enough clearance.

While Avril mumbled something under her breath, the people and the train station began to swirl about them, she could have sworn just before the station disappeared from sight that she saw Sirius approach a young woman with shoulder length black hair, the young man smiling broadly as he kissed her.

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_A/N: DUNDUNDUNDUN DUN!! What happened, what did she see? Think she was seeing things? BWAHAHA! Whoo! Next chapter should be up really later tonight or later Sunday evening, depending on how tired I get._


	18. The New Boy is Bad

_A/N: I'm on a roll! Another chapter that I had written up, but was still working on! Haha, I've chapters in the wings…or so I'd like to think. Most of my chapters are rough drafts to begin with and then I really cut into 'em and work them on down and cut out stuff that I put in last minute but then found it best just to leave it out. Like what the hell does that have to do with the story, but I like it! Yeah I cut out loads of those._

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**  
Chapter 18: The New Boy is Bad **

The young teen watched her brother pack, as he was to head back to England for the rest of summer break and to leave his sister to sort through the house. Not that James liked the whole idea of it all, but he really had no choice despite the fact that he would turn seventeen soon he still was not. Then again, his father Charlus did not seem really to care for Avril, seeing as that she was his brothers--- Godric's child after all, having had an affair with his sister-in-law Dorea. James looked at Avril as she watched him pack from his bedroom that was quite spacious, the walls a soft blue and the four-posted bed high off the polished, but a bit dusty wooden flooring and he wished he could stay. The teen looked about the room at the waist high, but long dresser along the wall in front of the bed with its moderate TV he had enjoyed watching sitcoms on and the bed side table of polished wood that stood a good few feet away from the seated window sill.

Taking his bag and broom down the rug-carpeted stairs that stopped at a platform after several stairs, but turned and lead down to the main floor, he set his bags at the side of the staircase as they passed the large living room that showed signs of lived-in furniture. The arm chair deep and just as overstuffed as those at Hogwarts were comfortable to sit in and prop your feet up on the low coffee table that sat between the catty-corner arm chair, dividing the couch and love seat. The large grandfather clock stuffed in the corner of the room chimed softly while it told the time as they pasted into the kitchen and took a seat at the island that held the stovetop on the side closes to the counters. Theo, Godric's cutlery maid had stayed on despite the old man's death, having really nowhere else to go, she was there at the house when they had arrived, with a meal and now still here with the two's last meal together in the house for the summer.

The two siblings ate in silence, finishing their dinner and then their dessert.

James grabbed his bag and broom as he headed into sunroom with its white marble flooring and wicker furniture that was off of the kitchen, the room also leading to the living room. The house was quite large and sometimes James thought it was rather easy to get lost in if you didn't know it well, something he wondered if the rooms moved just to confuse him. At the thought, he chuckled and looked at the window at the fall of dusk. The room lit up in a brilliant shade of yellow and green that blurred in through the colored glass of the windows and he did not want to leave. The house was warm and cozy in spite of the fact that only three people, a cat and some odd things down in the basement lived in it. He wanted to stay.

James smiled softly as Avril handed him the miniature broom that read S.W.I. in swirling golden printed text and told him the charm to port him to the school and not to stay too long to check out the hot teachers, which erupted in laughter between the two.

"I'll see you in a few days," said Avril smiling warmly, "just need to do something's here. Don't forget your Head Boy now and you'll never hear the end of it from Lily, so no more pranks." she laughed.

James rolled his eyes at this, the two having gotten their Hogwarts letters a few days earlier, James' letter had felt a tad heavier and dropped something when he had opened it. Revealing that the prankster was now Head Boy and would be forced to go on patrol with the Head Girl--- whoever that was; very much to the boy's dismay.

"I'll see you later then." he smiled weakly, mumbling something under his breath and he was gone.

Avril sighed as Theo left to go to bed and the young girl sighed even heavier.

"He was lucky this time." a voice beside her said.

"I know." the girl mumbled.

"I don't think you do," the smooth, silky voice said. "he could have been killed just because you haven't been taking your potion!"

"I know that!" Avril spat, stomping off back into the kitchen, to shove the stools back under the counter.

"Obviously you don't!" said the voice once again. "What makes you think you can control this? It will eat away at you until you've nothing left, but your instinct to feed and then it'll be a repeat of Salem all over again!"

Avril stared out the kitchen window at the garden that took up more than half of the side yard, the patch full of herbs and other odd ends used in potions. Her mind's eye watching as she ran past the garden no more than nine to the backyard with her father chasing after her playfully before capturing her and swing her around until they both were thoroughly dizzy. Of course, she did not know then that he was more than her Uncle, but that of her father. He most certainly had taken the place of the father Charlus never had acted to be. Tully scolding her when she stayed out to late during the summer, when he wrote to her to be good or at least not get caught when the Headmistress had written to him about her blowing up the Potion classroom with her potion tampering and how he told her absolutely obscene jokes that she laughed thoroughly at. He was a lot more lacks than most fathers would have, but he trusted her.

"Your father and Madame Fangrey made sure that it would never get out what you did and you're jeopardizing all their hard work just to test your control over this? Your maker---"

"Don't even say his name!" Avril growled and whirled around on the owner of the voice. "I didn't leave Salem because of what happened. I came to Hogwarts because my name was written down in their bloody book of people to go there! I refuse to be dependent on a ruddy potion for the rest of my life! There're cases of others like me that have controlled it!"

"---Believe what you want."

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Feet pounded against pavement as wheels of two trolleys whizzed by in a blurred vision and hearts raced faster as though this might be their last chance, their last stretch to the finish line. Having gone through the barrier to platform nine and three quarters so many times in the past it was rather easy to find as two pairs of feet directed the trolleys past what might have been first and second years, but neither cared even as they nearly collided with an elderly woman who shouted profanities as they whirled past.

"You're never gonna beat me you git!" James shouted as he laughed, rushing past Sirius heading directly for the barrier to platform nine and three quarters.

"Yeah right you prat, I get cool points alone!" Sirius laughed tauntingly as he zipped by--- sitting on his trolley, flashing several poses as he passed through the barrier, James following suit, sitting on his own trolley passing through the barrier as the two started to sing.

"Lily I love you, Lily I do---," the two sang in awfully, silly voices once through the barrier. "when we're apart, my heart beats only for yoouuuuu!"

"If you don't shut up!" Lily snapped having watched them nearly collide with a family sending off what appeared to be two first years.

"We all know that you love James, Evans just give it up!" Sirius said laughing.

"Watch it Black or I send you into a months detention start of term!" Lily said smirking.

"Oh I'm shaking in my boots," laughed Sirius, "and how do you plan to do that Evans?" he asked.

"I was made Head Girl so I can!" she said.

James' jaw dropped and Sirius became wide eyed, the two started to frighten several first years passing into the Hogwarts Express for the first time when Sirius broke out into full raging laughter.

"Oh this is rich!" he shouted, pounding his knees in laughter. "James' dizziest daydreams have come true and Evans worst nightmares have come to pass!"

"Shut up!" James growled jabbing his best mate.

"What are you two going on about?" Lily demanded pushing her red hair out of her face and over her shoulder.

"James is Head Boy!" Sirius blurted out triumphantly, his black hair sweeping in front of his face as he tipped over in hilarity.

"Didn't see that one coming." Remus' voice carried over Sirius' laughter as he approached.

Lily merely stared at them a gawk before she stomped off onto the train thinking how unfair it all was, and why in the hell did James look good?

"Have you seen Hayden?" Remus asked looking around briefly.

James and Sirius looked at each other then turned on their friend, "Becoming attached are we?" Sirius asked.

Remus raised an eyebrow in answer.

"You're not going to tell her are you?" James asked worriedly, Sirius sharing the same worried expression.

Remus sighed and said, "As a matter of fact I am."

James sighed this time, "What do you think is going to happen? That she's going to accept it?" he asked.

"I've talked to Avril about it already." he confessed.

"What?" the two other boys nearly shouted.

"She had already figured it out," Remus explained. "she gave me the mixture of Wolfsbane I was telling you about at start of term she had made. She gave it to me before we left here at the station."

"What?" James mumbled. "She never told me!"

"I guess she figured she didn't need to." Remus sighed, pulling his trunk onto the train.

"Jesus Christ whose next...first we know, then Snivley…," at this James shot Sirius a glare and the teen smiled defiantly. "and now Avril and you want Hayden to know too?!"

"Yes, I want Hayden to know!" Remus snapped. "I can tell who I choose, okay?" he said leaving his friend's as he tried to find an empty compartment.

"He's right," Sirius replied. "he can tell whoever he wants."

"Yeah," James sighed pulling his stuff onto the train, "you coming or what?" he asked.

Sirius stood on his tiptoes despite the fact that he was the tallest person currently on the platform, "You seen Avril?" he asked.

"No," James answered as he disappeared inside, not waiting for his friend, "Peter either." he called after.

Sirius looked about the platform looking at the clock on the wall briefly, hoping she made it in time, but soon realized that maybe she might be apparating; after all, she had her license. As he turned around to lug his stuff onto the train, though people were still outside on the platform bustling around talking and greeting their friend's, he wanted to find the compartment his own friend's had disappeared into to when a voice whispered in his ear.

"Mind telling me who you were kissing when the term ended and James and I were leaving?"

Sirius turned around to see Avril--- or what was a different looking Avril, the girl having grown at least half a head, would have been as tall as him if he had not grown himself during the summer, the girl though nearly half-a-head shorter than him still though, the same height as her brother. Her once long hair that had reached down to the top of her thighs was gone and now only down to her shoulder blades, curled in loose ringlets about her face. Sirius had taught himself early on in his wooing-women-long-streak of a phase to catch sight of the small things and to compliment. Women always liked it when you noticed that they cut their hair or changed their look even in the most miniscule way. It was always best for a successful lady-killer to know these things of trade.

Sirius' charm clicked on automatically without much thought.

"You look edible…can I eat you?" he asked teasingly as he snaked his arms about her waist.

"That depends what kind of eating you want to do." she said, her eyebrow raised as smile smirk played at the corner of her lips.

If Sirius had been drinking something it would have been spilled all down her front, "You're perverted you know that?" he laughed.

"Yes, so my therapist tells me," she said dryly, getting the confused looks of her boyfriend. "want to tell me who you were kissing?"

"You." He smiled sweetly, trying to make puppy dog eyes that usually worked on the girl at Hogwarts, but she seemed immune to them--- maybe because of what she was?

Sirius moved into kiss her neck when she pushed him back.

"Who--- was--- it." she said softly.

Sirius sighed and rolled his eyes, "It was my cousin, Andromeda. I keep telling her not to kiss me, but she never listens," he confessed.

Avril looked skeptical.

"Seriously, I swear!" he said putting his right hand up. "No pun intended!"

"You expect me to believe that?" she asked, pulling back from him grabbing up her trunk as a slightly large jet-black cat took up stance on it.

Sirius looked rather cross when she looked back at him. "As my girlfriend I expected you to have a little more faith in me!" he growled angrily.

"I would like to Sirius, but considering you use to go through girl's faster than socks, you have to understand why I'm doubtful." she replied softly.

Sirius looked angrier still if possible and his face suddenly relaxed, "Fine then…let's break up." he said coldly.

"What?" Avril practically whispered taken aback by his words.

"It seems that you'll never trust me so what's the point?" he spat.

Avril's heart would have been racing if it worked, it might have broken if it only worked, but it did not and instead she felt anger rise from somewhere she was not aware of existed.

"FINE!" she snapped yanking her trunk and the cat sitting upon it past her now ex-boyfriend and onto the train just as a woman's voice rang out.

"Sirius you git, you forgot your bag!" the very same woman from two months ago said handing off a torn and beaten old looking bag that Sirius often carried around.

"_Andromeda_ this is Avril Potter, James' sister." Sirius sneered.

The older woman smiled brightly, extending her hand to the girl shaking it veraciously, "Hello, I'm Andromeda Tonks, well used to be Black!" she laughed. "I'm Sirius' cousin, only graduated two years ago!"

"Nice…nice to meet you," Avril mumbled feeling like a right foul git. "if you'll excuse me."

"Of course, can't let the train leave without you two now." Andromeda smiled, giving Sirius a shove onto the train with his things as others filled in. The doors closed and the older woman waved to her cousin as he was off for another year at Hogwarts.

* * *

_A/N: Ohhhh!! Whose the mysterious voice person thingy?! What's gonna happen!! Sort of a cliff hanger for you! BWAHAHAHA! I still cut off excess unwanted/un-needed story fat. I don't like adding last minute stuff and then having to try and explain it. So I cut it out and try and use it for a different story. Well off I go!_


	19. Strangers Have the Best Candy

**_Chapter 19: Strangers Have the Best Candy_**

The compartment was silent as Remus, Lily and James had gone off to the Perfects compartment to learn of their duties and patrol the train, which left Hayden, Morgan, Peter who barely made it onto the train and Avril and Sirius. Neither of the two talking to one another, the tension so thick one could cut it with a knife. As the landscape swept by, Sirius peeked glances at Avril, the sad look in her eye practically choked the boy who was feeling like a prat for having said something so rashly like breaking up without thought and he was already beginning to regret it.

Tearing his eyes back to the window, he continued to watch the landscape whip past, when the sudden noise of the compartment door opening drew everyone's attention to their three friends finally entering to join them.

"Jeez, the tensions so thick in here I could cut it with a knife." Remus retorted looking between the small group of friend's as he took a seat between Peter and Hayden.

"Tell me about it." Peter mumbled.

"Someone wanna tell me why Remus can cut the air with a utensil?" James asked chuckling as he sat next to Sirius, noticing Avril on the opposite side of the compartment next to the door, farthest away from Sirius who sat next to the window. "I figured you two would be snoggin' by now."

No one laughed.

"Oh yeah this is a dead crowd, worst then Inferi!" James said.

"What happened?" asked Lily in a whisper as she took a seat next to Avril.

"Nothing." she mumbled just as the door clicked open again and the slightly larger than normal jet-black cat slinked in.

"Ah…" Morgan said staring at the animal.

"Othello?" James asked, reaching out for the cat and pulling it into his lap, "Othello was Uncle Tully's cat. He sort of babysat us when I would visit Avril in the States." James chuckled.

Lily smiled at the idea, "Babysit?" she asked.

James laughed, "Well he used to always follow us around when we ran around the house," he explained. "so Uncle Tully use to always say 'Othello babysit 'em while I'm in the kitchen.' or something similar to that."

The others chuckled minus that of Sirius and Avril who remained as cold as ice.

"That's sweet." Hayden said smiling warmly.

"Yeah, like a miniature father." Lily smiled brightly.

"Yeah." James mumbled petting the cat softly as he curled up in his lap purring contentedly.

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The group of friends laughed as the train led them to Hogwarts, telling about their summer, Lily, Remus or James having to leave occasionally to patrol the train. Coming back an hour or two later to listen to their friend's antics as Avril continued to look out the compartment door and Sirius watched the landscape pass by. This ignored banter went on for nearly the whole train ride back to Hogwarts when suddenly Avril sat up from a short-lived nap.

"Alright I'm sorry!" she said suddenly getting abound odd stares. "I shouldn't have jumped to conclusions!"

Remus opened his mouth to ask what she was sorry about when Sirius cut him off.

"You had every right to; I earned myself the reputation so I shouldn't have expected that much from you." Sirius mumbled continuing to look out the window.

James' pulled air in through his teeth at Sirius remark as he looked between the two that were seemingly having a conversation as though the others were not there.

"What's that supposta mean?" Avril spat, "Didn't expect that much from me, so am I as low as you can get?" she nearly shouted.

Sirius growled suddenly looking at her, "I didn't mean anything by it!" he snapped.

"Bullocks!" Avril yelled. "I'm sorry if I don't hold up to your high expectations and trust you whole heartedly! Excuse me for having my reservations!"

"THAT'S NOT WHAT I MEANT!" Sirius yelled standing. "MAYBE IF YOU DIDN'T THINK I WAS CHEATING ON YOU THE ENTIRE DAMN TIME!"

"I DIDN'T THINK YOU WERE CHEATING ON ME ALL THE TIME, BUT WHEN A GIRL SEES HER BOYFRIEND KISS ANOTHER WOMEN SHE HAS THE RIGHT TO ASK WHO SHE IS!" Avril screamed.

"What?" Lily mumbled, the others keeping their distance and even if possible push themselves farther into the cushions of the seats for fear of a full out brawl.

"I explained to you, who that was!" Sirius growled dropping his voice, due to the amount of sudden rushing at their door, people trying to see inside past the curtain because of the abrupt screaming and yelling.

"Well how was I supposta know!"

"_That_ exactly is why!" Sirius said suddenly pointing to her madly. "You should have just trusted me! I wasn't going to or _ever_ would cheat on you."

"Yeah, I'm going to trust a guy who has slept with more girls then he can count on his fingers and toes and is known for jumping from one chick to the next in the same damn day?" Avril snapped.

Sirius' anger was boiling over and it would not be long before they got into another shouting match.

"And because I don't trust a man like you that's why you don't expect much from me? Like I'm at the bottom shelf of a dime-a-dollar store and you knew when you asked me out that I wasn't really worth it, but there was nothing else left," the black haired teen said softly. "I'm tired of trusting people. I trusted that Charlus was my father, but he never acted like it, hell he wasn't even good at pretending it,"

Avril reached up and pulled down her trunk with ease, dropping it onto its wheels on the floor.

"---He too told me that he didn't expect much from trash like me." she said, and the door clicked closed behind her.

It would have been better is she had slammed the door, at least he might have had the inkling that he still had a chance with her, but the soft resounding click of the door felt as though that were it and there was no other way to her. The resonating click of her heart shutting off to him rang in his ears and Sirius felt a twinge of sadness and pain run through him.

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Avril hated crying, she hated showing her feelings, emotions that people could and would use against her. She heard James calling for her, heard Lily, Hayden and Morgan telling her to come back, but ignored them and pressed on until she was at the farthest end of the train while it rocked slightly back and forth. She went farther still and she pushed open the door that lead outside to the back of the train where a small balcony or porch of sorts was with thick looking railing around its edges. The dirty train tracks whizzed by below as her hands gripped the black railing tightly, her knuckles turning white while she tried and failed miserably to stifle her crying that seemed unwilling to relinquish its hold on her.

"_Of course no one expects anything from you, look at what you are!"_ her mind shouted. "_At Salem all you did was prove them right, you showed them the animal you truly can become! Let me out again and we can show them once more!"_

"No!" Avril shouted.

"_All you are is a monster and that's all you'll ever be! You can't keep me locked up like this, the thirst will get you in the end, it always does!"_ the voice in her mind cackled. _"You're precious potion won't help you forever and that's why the dose has to keep being knocked up because we're fighting against it aren't we? Nothing else is expected of us, but pure unadulterated savagery!"_

"Shut up!" Avril spat covering her ears trying to block out the voice.

"_We're no better than your Lycan friend during the full moon! Blood is what sustains us not some nutter of a potion! Why do you think Charlus said he didn't expect anything from trash like us,"_ the voice raged on. "_because we are a vampire and our thirst for blood will outweigh our morals no matter if we a soul or not!"_

The demon within her was winning and it knew it. The need to up the dosage of her potion was quite true, the pull of the thirst was becoming stronger and she secretly longed to be free of her mortal humanity, to feel the run of hot blood coursing through her veins and running softly over her lips and down her neck. Just the idea of it intoxicating--- wait--- had she not come out there to get away from Sirius' hurting words--- why was she thinking of blood suddenly, of its feel, its vile but intoxicating taste? The inner demon was winning.

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The young girl remained outside on the small balcony, surprisingly enough there were two wicker seats pressed into the back corners, Avril abruptly getting the image of Dumbledore sitting out there as a teen once, and she chuckled wiping at her tear stained face. It had been a beautiful day out, but now the skies were dark and night had fallen, to give into a cold chill as it always did in September. When the door opened unexpectedly behind her she refused to look at the new company that had decided to join her, closing the door behind them.

"Avril," the voice said softly, almost suave. "I saw you come out here. Thought I would--- see what you were up to."

"Hello Lucius." Avril sighed softly, not having to look back at the teen to know who it was.

"Having--- extra baggage problems?" he asked choosing his words carefully and deliberately.

Avril chuckled, "Yeah you could say that." she said.

"I could hear your dulcet tones in my compartment all the way at the front of the train." he smirked.

"Well I've always preferred to be heard when shouting about my love life." she said with a sarcastic smile.

Lucius chuckled softly while he looked briefly down at the wicker chair contemplating taking a seat, but seemingly decided against it and Avril could not help, but smile a bit at his contempt for the simple piece of furniture.

"I find that if your--- carryon luggage is ruined the best thing to do is to buy yourself something more refined, durable and trustworthy." said Lucius.

"Are you flirting with me Lucius?" Avril asked raising an eyebrow as she looked at the other teen.

Lucius waved his hand dismissively. "Well if I was now you'll never know!"

Avril laughed as did Lucius before he said, "Why don't you come inside. Sit with me until we've arrived."

The girl shook her head. "Thanks, but no thanks. I'm quite alright out here, plus I don't think your ah--- girlfriend will like a Gryffindor sitting with you." she smiled.

"Very well I won't press the matter," He said, dusting his hands off for no particular reason. "remember if you ever feel like doing something completely embarrassing to Black and your brother's group of friend's let me know and I'll join right in--- so long as it's in front of the whole school."

"I'll remember that," she retorted as Lucius disappeared back inside the train. "I'll remember that."

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The Great Hall was loud that evening as they all filed in for the start of term feast. Everyone seemed to be finding their friend's in different houses and talking about their summer at such quick rates it was hard for Sirius to understand Jacqueline Royce a fellow Gryffindor in the same year, which he had snogged in a broom closet on several occasions as she talked his ear off about her summer. Sirius had gotten an ear full from James on the train and then complete silence from him since, his best mate instead opting to send him dirty looks that threatened pain upon death.

Sirius looked around the hall for any sign of Avril, but found none, hoping that the girl might come and sit with them even though he had broken up with her and had unintentionally insulted her, soon realized that the chance of that happening was very slim. Still he looked around the Great Hall and even as students settled down to the respective house tables, he saw her nowhere in sight. Up and down the table, his eyes spanned, but still she was nowhere to be found. Had she even gotten off the train? The sitting of the first years dribbled on, most of it going in one ear and out the other as the black haired male youth still attempted to find his best mates sister.

Dumbledore went about the start of term speech of his, declaring that once again the forbidden forest was out of bounds for all students, glancing towards the Marauders down at the end of the Gryffindor table briefly before continuing on with school announcements. James sighed heavily as the announcement of the new Head Boy and Head Girl brought him and Lily to their feet, many in disbelief--- including several of the teachers not because of Lily, but because of James. No one had expected it, that was for sure.

Dinner twiddled on and no Avril in sight, before Sirius knew it, the feast was over and James and Remus where directing the Gryffindor's to their tower to expose the password to only them as the Fat Lady swung open to reveal the hole in the wall. Lily had taken the Ravenclaws and three other Perfects had separated to take the Slytherin's and Hufflepuffs in order to divulge the password. It didn't take long for Lily to return to the Gryffindor tower, but ignoring both James and Sirius she stocked up the stairs to the girls dorm without so much as a word to anyone in the common room.

"Suppose she's mad at me because of what you did to Avril." James grumbled finally speaking to his friend.

"It's not my fault girl's band together to hate as one!" Sirius retorted still looking around the common room for the curled ringlets of black hair and eyes that reminded him of the color of the sallow parts of the ocean--- a blue hue that was rather indescribable.

"Well Hayden's still here!" Peter squeaked, pointing over to the previously mentioned girl that was sitting with Remus on the couch the two snogging quite contentedly. James and Sirius' expressions changed from sudden disgust to over abundant happiness.

"Go Moony!" James roared with laughter.

"Moony finally scores!" Sirius shot his fist triumphantly into the air.

Hayden threw up a rude hand gesture while the two still snogged and Remus' hand covered hers, covering the rude gesture.

"Get a room!" Peter laughed, James and Sirius joining in.

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Breakfast loomed on the horizon and the four Marauders marauded their way down to the Great Hall to see several students already down there even though it could be said to be early in the morning, far from eight. Remus had wanted to get his class schedule so he could get started on a study plan for himself and the others if they wanted when the four of them spotted Avril a ways down the table, with the side of her head against the table. The girl's eyes blood shot, her hair a slightly fizzy mess as though she had just stepped out of bed wtihout so much as a brush over. The teen still in her pajamas and she looked pale as if death itself had stepped upon her door last night. James was the first one two her aside from Morgan, Hayden and Lily already being there.

"What happened?" he asked taking a seat next to his sister.

"We don't know," Morgan retorted, "I thought she was up in bed already last night, but when I looked she wasn't there. I even looked this morning before I left and she wasn't there then either. She just showed up a few minutes ago." she mumbled.

"Avril what's wrong?" asked James softly cocking his head to one side to see her face straightly.

Avril said nothing, but instead stared off past the four that were clambering at the end of the Gryffindor table where she sat.

"Sis?" James called. Nothing still.

"She hasn't said a word. Just sat down and laid her down on the table." Lily said with a tad of a worried expression mixed with another.

"None of you share a room with her?" Remus asked looking around the girl's, who shook their heads in response.

Surprisingly instead of McGonagall, Dumbledore approached them slowly while he handed out the class schedules, making his rounds. Looming over them, he looked down at Avril's dead like expression.

"She refused to stay up in the hospital ward," Dumbledore said in an almost whisper. "Had a rough night of it I expect."

"Had a rough night of what?" Sirius asked looking at her then back to the Headmaster.

"Miss Potter had to take her potion last night and we had to triple the dosage." He explained still in a whisper. "You'll have to ask her to explain all of it I'm afraid, for I don't believe now is a good time for me to."

Before anyone could say anything else, the odd Headmaster was off, handing out the rest of the pieces of blank parchment, ink flowing onto the paper as soon as it was handed to a student, with their proper scheduling tables on it.

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_A/N: I really got stumped on this one, not because I didn't know where I wanted to take it, because I did! But I took a break from it, because you can't force it, or it'll just be shit, but I took a break and did a short oneshot of Sirius called 'Serenity'. It's on here too._

_Nonetheless, you know how it goes down. I own the plot and all OC's. I don't own Harry Potter...yet._

_P.S. Check out my icon on my profile! Lol _


	20. The Little Kitten that was too Curious

_A/N: This would have been up earlier, say like midnight, but my friend called me and him, souls and I went out down to broad ripple to a hookah bar. Hookah I believe despite the fact I smoked it, is flavored tobacco. I don't even know what flavor we had because it was so loud! It was pretty cool because my friend and I got some beer, but souls who was under age still got to come in! It was fun. We hung out at her place for a while to visit the mini sub (her fat German Sheppard Dog) and then he and I went back to his place and had some more. Needless to say I didn't get back til 3AM and this is just now getting up because I was writing chapter 21. So…_

* * *

**_  
Chapter 20: The Little Kitten that was too Curious..._**

"Potion?" Peter mumbled confused.

Lily rolled her eyes, "She did say she had to take a potion whenever she felt the need to…you know." the girl said unsteadily.

"I had no idea it did this to her!" James exclaimed.

"What was he talking about, 'had to triple the dosage'?" Remus asked as he grabbed a piece of toast and began tearing it to try and get Avril to eat.

"I've no clue." James answered.

Hayden suddenly looked hesitant when her friend's began to look in her direction, "What?" she asked.

"You've been friends with her since she was nine, what did he mean?" James demanded.

Hayden began ringing the end of her T-Shirt nervously and looking around before in a hushed whisper she said, "It's…Avril calls it her _inner demon_, the thirst is becoming overwhelming and when her potion dosage had to be doubled it was a bad sign. Now that it's needed to be tripled it's even worse. If her humanity is over shadowed by this _inner demon_ it means something will happen to her soul. I didn't get all of it when your Uncle was talking to my parents,"

Remus felt the same involuntary shudder run through him, just as it did that night almost a year ago when Avril had divulged her secret to them in just the same hushed whisper.

"The higher the dosage the worse she becomes and the more the demon might fight back. You have to understand what the potion does to comprehend it I guess. Avril never really told me, but described it as though dying of dehydration."

"Well isn't that lovely." Sirius said bitterly.

Remus handed Sirius the pieces of toast he had torn, telling his friend to try and get her to eat. Sirius attempted to give the girl the few pieces of toast he had, but she still stared off into the distance and her jaw was dead locked.

"There's no point in her being down here, I'll take her up to the tower." Sirius said standing and hoping that he didn't get too much attention trying to haul a spaced out girl out of the Great Hall.

"We'll wait here and come up in a few minutes." Lily said sternly as James too had started to get up.

"Why?" James asked.

"If we all go up together with Avril the way she looks people will start to ask questions." Lily whispered.

"Oooohhhh, right," James retorted taking a seat. "act like we normally do, huh?"

"That's the idea." said Remus as he tucked in a bowl of cereal whilst Sirius got Avril to her feet surprisingly easy enough and made his way out the hall, past the entrance hall and up the stairs.

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Sirius walked Avril in what could be described as a zombie state up to the portrait of the Fat Lady who sat talking to her friends vividly about the start of term feast in which she had gone to visit some of her other friends down in the dungeons for a few glasses of sherry. As Sirius approached the portraits gave a small gasp at the state in which the girl on his arm looked, the girl having stopped quite often to talk to the Fat Lady and her friends. The seventh year looked nothing like herself, whose hair was just last night bouncing ringlets about her face, her blue eyes just as bright as they had been when the portraits first met her. Her face now looked shallower than it had before as did her eyes that looked empty, while they stared at her companion's neck under half hooded lids.

"Oh, my! What's happened to her?" the Fat Lady asked.

"Nothing." Sirius retorted.

"Bullocks!" the Fat Lady retorted. "What did you do to this nice girl?"

"_Balderdash_." Sirius retorted the password in emancipation.

"If you think that's going to get you out of telling us what you did to that nice girl, you've---" the Fat Lady was interrupted by Sirius shouting.

"LET ME IN DAMNIT, I DON'T HAVE THE PATIENCE FOR THIS SHIT!"

"Merlin's Beard!" said the Fat Lady, swinging open to reveal the hole in the wall hidden behind her.

Sirius clambered through the hole, the common room still somewhat empty for only two or three people were up, sitting around tables in the wall pining over homework they never finished over the summer. Still the boy moved on, with Avril's arm wrapped over his neck and pulled her up the stairs to the boy's dormitory, kicking open he, James, Remus and Peter's room door that was slightly ajar. Sitting her down on his bed he quickly shut the door with a lock and sat down beside her laying form, her eyes locked on his own.

"Avril…," Sirius began unsure what to say. "do you need anything?"

Sirius really didn't expect her to say anything, but when she croaked out the word thirsty the boy grabbed the glass off of Remus' bedside table and came back from the bathroom with it filled with cold water trying to hand it to her, but she merely stared at him.

"Here drink it." Sirius retorted lifting her head trying feebly to get the silly girl to drink it.

She pushed it away just a pathetically, her long slender fingers wrapping about his wrist in an abrupt death grip and Sirius whimpered slightly under the crushing strength.

"Not water." she croaked, her blood shot eyes resting on the teens pulsing neck, it didn't take Sirius long to realize what she wanted.

"Avril you can't." Sirius's head shook as he attempted scrupulously to remove himself from her grip, but she held on, stronger than he was and Sirius hated this fact now more than ever as she kicked her feet over the edge, pulling Sirius to her.

Her eyes seemed no longer her own as they were clouded over as though she had no idea what she was doing, that she was no longer in control. Sirius struggled against her grip, first opting to try and shake some sense into her, upon which it didn't work he could feel panic start to set in.

"Just a little won't hurt." she said softly in an odd voice.

Her voice was different, why was it so soft, so enthralling and captivating?

"_Is this what she felt when it happened to her?"_ Sirius thought as he unexpectedly felt himself relax, taking a seat next to her on the bed as his eyes watched hers meticulously.

"_Why am I suddenly so calm? Is it her or is it because of what she is? Is this part of the power Vampires have?"_ he questioned himself more unable to find the solution for his actions.

Swiftly he felt her lips against his neck that sent shivers of pleasure through his body at the same time as Sirius found his arms wrapping about her waist as best as he could at such an odd angle. Her mouth closed to kiss his neck gently and another shiver ran through him soliciting a low growling moan from the teen who tried his best in his zombie like state to turn her head to capture her lips, but the girl's kisses rose higher on his neck finding his pulse that was racing, her mouth closing around the skin, sucking on it roughly.

"_What am I doing?!"_ Sirius mind screamed, finding quite quickly that he couldn't control his own limbs.

"Avril…" Sirius whispered when suddenly he felt his skin rip as though he had just gotten a paper cut and the soft and slow trickle of liquid running down his shoulder.

Avril's fangs graved Sirius' neck, his skin slicing open easily, but the wounds were small, it was not as if she had bitten, the pain would have been worse and her tongue lapped on the wound lovingly, the metallic vile taste of the blood intoxicating. It might have been described as if sticking a muggle penny in your mouth and sucking on it. Suddenly Avril pulled back, her eyes unclouded and Sirius released a rasping moan not wanting her to stop, but her eyes were full with what he had seen once before at the sight of her father's body--- fear.

"What have I done?" she said rather clearly considering her earlier state.

"It's okay, you didn't do anything." Sirius exclaimed trying to unseat her fears finding that oddly enough he was in control of his body again.

She looked absolutely bewildered at him, her appearance of her bed-head-hair accompanied with the wild look in her eyes made her look more insane.

"D'you see straight?" she demanded. "I just…I…"

Sirius stood reaching for her and she staggered back from him as he said, "You didn't do anything, you didn't bite me. It's okay Avril you didn't---" but Sirius was cut off by her.

"I tasted your blood!" she shriek, her voice up a few octaves than normal.

"_Muffliato_!" Sirius said pointing his wand at nothing in particular so if anyone came near the door all they would hear was an annoying buzzing in their ears.

Reaching up he touched his neck, blood staining his fingers. Maybe she had cut him deeper then he thought and he trudged into the bathroom just a good few feet off taking a look at his neck in the mirror. Indeed her fangs had cut his skin, but it wasn't that bad, in fact it just looked like a severe paper cut, nothing damaging as it might have been had she bitten him--- it would heal in time. Quickly he blotted at the running blood with a loose hand towel that lay crumpled on the counter and the blood loss seemed to stop.

"Avril c'mere," Sirius retorted reaching out his hand as Avril approached hesitantly, her pink fuzzy slippers sliding along the stone flooring and Sirius chuckled upon seeing them for the first time. His hand wrapped about her arm lugging her to him, as he pulled the towel away giving show that the bleeding had stopped. "you see, it's fine. You didn't do any permanent damage."

Avril shook her head, her hair flying around her. "I shouldn't have…you don't understand!" she sobbed suddenly. "I've been…I've tried to fight this…this…_disease_, but my potion--- it's fighting against it. For me to lose control that…that quickly!"

The boy didn't know what to do, she cried with her face in her hands. Sirius had never seen her like this before, it wasn't the same as when her father died and she had gone into a fit of rage and loss--- this was fear and worry.

"Avril---"

There was suddenly loud banging on the door followed by Lily's shouting.

Sirius sighed and Avril suddenly looked frightened at the same time as her eyes darted from Sirius' neck to the door. The boy understand and pulled his shirt off over his head and dug through the clothes on the bathroom floor that were his own, yanking out his black muggle hoodie that said something across the front that he had bought over the summer. Avril's eyes ran unconsciously over the other teen's body, taking in the muscles he had earned due to long and hard quidditch practices and her vision scanned his arms while his biceps moved and his lean form stretched his stomach muscles that slightly defined the six pack he had as he slipped his arms through into the sleeves first when he caught her staring at him. A smirk broke over his lips as she was still looking at him while he pulled the material over his head next with his thumbs hooked under the collar. The knocking at the door continued while Sirius pushed the hoodie off his head, turning to the mirror to check if the cuts were visible and upon seeing that they weren't he turned to Avril who had shook her head to pull herself out of her drooling stare.

Sirius chuckled and yanked the girl out of the bathroom setting her on the bed and he picked the cup of water off of his bedside table and dumped some of it on the floor to the girl's confusion who lifted her pink fluffy slippers off the ground in the process. Pushing her down to lay on the bed, he set her feet up and whispered to pretend to be normal--- as normal as she could be considering how she looked. Avril wiped at her tear stained face, drying it as best she could before Sirius unlocked the door winging it open to his friends that filed in.

"What took so long and why did you bring her up here?" Remus asked looking about the room suspiciously.

"Why'd you change clothes?" asked James looking at his friend meticulously.

"I tried to give her some water and she pushed it back and it spilled on me, that's why I changed shirts and what took so long," Sirius answered half truthfully. "I couldn't just set her down in the common room and if you've forgotten I can't go up to the girl's dorm without the stairs screaming and sending me down on a slid."

James and the others must have noticed the water on the floor because they didn't ask about it again, but instead Lily mopped it up with a loose shirt on the floor to Sirius argument not to use his clothes like washrags.

"Man your room stinks!" Morgan said waving her hand about, Lily and Hayden nodding their head in agreement as they covered their noses.

"What did you do over night to cause that smell?" Hayden asked looking between Remus and Sirius.

"It's probably Wormtail's dirty socks." Sirius shrugged, James and Remus chuckled as Peter protested.

"D'you reckon she'll be okay?" Hayden asked sitting down next to the pretending-to-be-comatose girl that stared off in the distance.

"She'll be okay." Sirius said absentmindedly.

"I guess, but I think we should take her to the hospital wing." Lily retorted brushing Avril's hair out of her eyes.

Sirius watched Avril's steady breathing and found it hard to fight back his smirk that was creeping to the corner of his lips as he remembered the glazed look in her eyes as she watched him putting his hoodie on and the lustful expression she held, but he also remembered the hungry look in her eyes when she stared at his pulse hammering in his neck just under the skin. What was that, why did he give in so abruptly and the feelings of calm over take him? Why had he not been afraid of her like anyone else would have if they had been in his situation and why did he try to consul her after what she did to him? He wanted to find out why and that much was for certain.

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A/N: What did you think? Did that feel a little to thrown in there? It wasn't, because I had this planned out, but I think I could have explained Avril's problem at bit more in detail, but I couldn't without going into stuff the story isn't ready for yet! BWAHAHA! Tell me what you think!_

_- P.S. You may have noticed that the story rating has been changed to 'M' because of all the cussing I write mostly, but otherwise there will be some sort of explicit sexual situations. Nothing like his di went into her . Hahah ha! Nothing like that to worry about kiddies! _

_- Another question that I'm hoping would actually get answered: I'm working on a GeorgeOC story and was wondering if I put it up would you read it?_


	21. You Can Get Sucked Down the Drain

_A/N: Yay another chapter! I waited to put this one up because I want to have a chapter ahead finished before I put up the next one. A chapter ahead thing…oh boy. Nevertheless, I hope you've waiting in anticipation because I have and the stories already done and over with in my head, but I'm just so happy to get it down!!_

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Chapter 21: You Can Get Sucked Down the Drain_**

Sirius laughed with his friend's as they made their way down to the dungeons to their shared Potions class with Professor Slughorn again that year having started their N.E.W.T class last term. Avril never noticed James and Sirius in the back of the classroom until the end of last term. The two usually sound asleep because of their previous shared class of Transfiguration in their sixth year. Potions was now their first class of the day and Sirius and James were already deciding what pranks they might try on people and of the new ones they had thought of over the summer when the three, (Peter didn't have Potions N.E.W.T level) entered into the classroom to see Avril talking adamantly with Sluggy as James had lovingly dubbed the Potions master in their third year. The two seemed to be arguing over something in hushed whispers.

"Why hello gentlemen, take a seat anywhere for those will be yours for the rest of the term," Professor Slughorn retorted waving his hand out gallantly. "you as well Miss Potter."

"I call Avril as a Potions partner!" Remus retorted smirking broadly before tucking her form under his arm when she approached.

"That's not fair!" Sirius retorted. "I planned on talking her ear off all term and making her fail miserably."

"Sounds like fun!" James laughed his eyes lit up like a boy on Christmas morning.

"You boys are terrible," Professor Slughorn laughed. "leave that poor girl alone and pick your partners. I'm actually surprised you two are here this early Mister Potter and Mister Black considering you were always late last term."

James and Sirius looked at each other and snickered as they took the caldron and seats next to Remus and Avril who were both looking through their _Advanced Potions Year 7_ textbooks.

"Don't want anything incriminating on us." James whispered to Remus whose eyebrow arched.

Students started to file in, taking their seats and Slughorn started to address the class when Snape rushed in through the door looking flushed as he took the only open seat on the other side of the classroom closes to the front.

"You're late Mister Snape," Slughorn said. "five points from Slytherin. Rather hard to do that to my own house only on the third day of school."

"Sorry Professor." Severus retorted dryly and Avril gave him a small wave to which he nodded his head slightly to show he saw her gesture.

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_Avril made her way through the corridors to serve her detention that she had with McGonagall that had still to be served even in the start of the new term as Dumbledore promised. Having left the common room shortly after dinner, going in there only to change her clothes and not have to attempt any back breaking tasks that she was sure the Professor would impress upon her in her Hogwarts uniform skirt._

"_Avril!" her name was called in the empty hall and it echoed briefly._

_Sirius was running to catch up to her, the two hardly having talked that day or the day before because of what had happened. The girl slowed her walking as Sirius took stride beside her._

_Sirius smiled brightly despite what had taken place two days ago and said, "I'm sorry."_

_Needless to say the girl was more than confused. "What are you sorry about, I'm the one that---" she started._

"_No not that. Stop worrying about that already," Sirius said softly, grabbing her arm to stop her onward progression down the hall. "I'm sorry that I yelled at you on the train and got mad. I shouldn't have said those things and those things at the station."_

_Avril looked at him briefly and her eyes softened before she said, "Really?"_

_Sirius nodded his head, "I should have just explained it better and then maybe I wouldn't have blurted out that we should break up," the teen sighed abruptly. "I didn't want to break up with you. It was just the first thing that spilled out my mouth…I guess you were right and I really don't think about things before I say them sometimes, but I like you and I…I was hoping we could get back together."_

_Avril knew that despite their rows and dislike of each other in the past that they were drawn to one another if both physical and emotion or one or the other, but all she knew was that she liked him and maybe her feelings for him were beyond that, but she couldn't say then._

"_Alright." she said so softly that Sirius barely caught it._

"_Wha--- yeah? Really?" Sirius asked his poker face up, but his eyes gave away his excitement._

"_Yeah." she answered more clearly._

_Sirius looked around briefly, wiping his nervous hands down his jeans, "Yeah…great!" he said giving her one of his trademark smiles that most girl's loved and fell for._

_Avril simply smiled back and began to leave when he stopped her. "Where are you going?"_

"_Detention." the girl answered simply._

"_Oh right."_

"_Yup."_

"_Okay then." said Sirius the silence deafening in the corridor before he leaned forward and pressed his lips against hers gently, which wasn't Sirius' style who usually preferred to smash ones lips together._

_Avril recovered quickly and gave a small smile before turning and leaving._

"_I'll…I'll see you later!" Sirius called stuttering a bit which the girl found rather endearing and cute._

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Avril smiled softly at the memory still rather surprised that Sirius had wanted to see her again considering what she had done, but then again Sirius was an odd one.

"Wonder what made Snivelly late?" Sirius chuckled with James.

"Don't call him that!" Avril snarled across Remus to the other two Marauders.

"What?" asked James. "Are you sticking up for Snivelly?"

"No, but can I call you Potty or how about Pothead?" Avril leered and Remus stifled his laughter as Slughorn announced what potion he'd like made and to be as imaginative as possible, at this he looked over to Avril with a small smirk.

"Well if you can call him that, he can call you that too." said Sirius with a smirk.

"No I know worse I can call her!" James grinned broadly. "I'll just call her by her full name."

That got Sirius and Remus' attention as Avril growled menacingly at her older brother before she said, "And I'll just hex you so your arse reverses with your head!" she spat.

"Is that possible?" asked Sirius.

Remus nodded his head trying not to imagine it as he sorted through his potion ingredients.

"So, what's her full name?" Remus asked despite the girls growls beside him.

James smiled like Christmas had come early. "It's a wonderful name. I mean it's practically the same, but the nicknames you can get from it are just…just…bloody marvelous!"

"Don't you dare!" she spat.

"Oh I think I dare!"

"Don't!"

"Don't what Avril---" James started but was suddenly hit in the head with Avril's flying _Advanced Potions Year 7_ book that landed squarely in his potion after hitting him.

The class broke out in fits of laughter at the sudden interruption.

"Avrilynn Caleigh Potter!" James snarled rubbing his head.

Sirius snorted into his book, "Avrilynn?" he asked still attempting to hold back an immediate nickname that came to mind.

"I suggest you don't even say it if you ever want kids Black!" she snapped.

"Huh?" Sirius laughed.

"I think she's saying she'd rip your manhood off!" James laughed.

"That's not too bad!" Remus smiled. "At least you're not named after a dog like Sirius is."

"What?" Sirius demanded as Avril and James snorted.

"Sirius is the Dog Star." Remus retorted, but whispered to Avril. "Don't let him read the rest of the definition, he'd get a bigger head than he's already got. We wouldn't be able to fit in the common room with him in there!"

Avril's shoulder shook as she laid her head against the table besides their caldron giggling.

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Potions went by pretty undisturbed that was until the end of it when Severus broke out in a song and dance to some muggle song about opposites attracting under the Tarantallegra spell to some extent as Avril wondered how his voice was being controlled. Nevertheless the class broke out into hysterics, Sirius and James rolling on the floor as Remus snickered to himself, trying to not act like he was enjoying it.

"Remus you're a _Prefect_!" Avril chided. "Do something!"

Remus merely shook his head unable to stop his laughter that had been leaking out into full blown like his friends as Severus continued to dance and sign, Slughorn not trying to stop it as the class continued to laugh.

"This is getting ridiculous!" Avril shouted and stood while Lily and Hayden watched her wand come out pointing at Severus and she roared over the laughter. "_FINITE_!"

Severus' dancing and singing act stopped immediately as the class looked back at her like she was wearing a sign around her neck that read: I AM NUTTER, and had been running around the classroom naked.

"Miss Potter…was that the counter-spell Finite Incantatem?" Professor Slughorn asked taking a step closer.

"Yes of course!" Avril said curtly. "Everyone knows how to do that spell!"

Slughorn laughed, "Not everyone dear. That one takes a great deal of talent and concentration," he said. "can I go as far as to assume that, that was the short hand version of it?"

Avril didn't like everyone looking at her--- she felt like a freak already as it was. "Yes, but everyone in my year at Salem could do it." she tried to justify.

Slughorn waved his hand at her dismissively. "Yes, yes of course. I had forgotten that Salem graduated at fifth year."

"What?" someone questioned as Avril took her seat. "What do you mean they graduate at fifth year?"

"Salem Witches Institute students take their O.W.L's their third year and graduate their fifth." Slughorn said happy to divulge some information to his students. "S.W.I only has up to five years unlike Hogwarts with seven, because of this the core courses are twice as hard and they are on stuff by their fifth year, seventh years here at Hogwarts and even some grown wizards and witches wouldn't try! Students are exceptionally gifted if they stay with it and their school system allows you to skip up a year if you're talented enough to at the Headmistress' digression of course."

"Why is she here then?" asked someone else and Avril felt her body begin to involuntarily shake.

"I don't really know why." Slughorn mumbled before he spoke out more clearly. "Yes, why did you come to Hogwarts dear?"

Lily saw Avril shaking knowing that something the girl didn't want the whole of class to know would be forced out of her and Lily said, "Some students can cancel taking their N.E.W.T's to continue their education at the agreement of the Headmasters and Ministry of Magic in both countries."

Oh's went out among the students.

"So you decided to farther your education dear?" Professor Slughorn asked happily.

Avril nodded her head meekly.

"Well that's quite a good choice!" he smiled brightly. "You never know, what you might learn here you may never have learned at Salem!"

Avril nodded her head again whispering a 'thank you' to Lily who smiled back. With everything that had happened--- shit, it felt like she was being sucked down the drain!!

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A/N: Do you ever feel like you're being sucked down the drain of life? I do sometimes, but then I get online and check my email to see great reviews and brand spankin new chapters for HP stories I'm obsessed with and I get rather happy!_

_I'm afraid I'm sad to say this story is slowly coming to a close and I really don't want it to! So I'm stalling a bit and I know I shouldn't because this is a filler chapter and I hate doing filler chapters but I don't' want to stop!! That's okay I've got a continuation of this story in the wings! After all, this whole story as just a prologue to a whole other one that's in the wings watching and waiting to pounce! BWAHAHA!_


	22. Our Truth

_A/N: Boy oh boy this is a long chapter people! First off I'd like to thank the story's faithful readers and reviewers! You guys make my day so much you just don't realize it!_

_On a side note, if you'd like to know about my life outside of FF check out my LJ under Chungsparadise. It's friend's only so you'd have to friend me first. Also I listen to music while write, so if you know any good tracks tell about 'em or send 'em my way cuz my music is getting stale! YUCK!_

_There's are 4,313 words in this chapter alone, not including the author notes or chapter title! Y-e-a-h…I've been busy!_

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_**  
Chapter 22: Our Truth**_

It was already October and nearing Halloween and of course James was freaking out because of the closeness of November which meant the start of the new season. Needless to say Avril still had detention every night with McGonagall who varied her punishment from doing lines to back breaking work of moving the whole armory of clanking useless metal to the close to bottom basement like dungeons. That coupled with James' random attacks of shaking and going as far as to threat to replace her then whining that he had no one else that good, was beginning to rub her thin.

Avril tucked herself in next to Remus at lunch and the two talked in hushed whispers to Sirius and James confusion until Hayden appeared and their conversation ended abruptly. Peter followed after Morgan as they sat in next to the others, Lily finally coming to join them, sitting herself surprisingly next to James whose chest puffed out considerably.

"Hayden can I talk to you?" Remus asked softly, to keep from being over heard the other conversations going on among his friend's.

"Yeah sure!" she smiled brightly and Remus himself couldn't help but to also, her smile was just too infections.

"Alone actually I was hoping." he retorted.

Hayden looked rather curious but nodded her head nevertheless and got up to leave with Remus whom looked back at Avril to see her give him a small thumbs up as she stuck her tongue out.

"Where's Moony going?" James asked watching his friend leave.

Avril shrugged and said, "Probably going to tell her something I guess or maybe he just wants to discuss something with her without a nosy git like you butting in."

"Prat!" James snapped and pointed his wand at her without warning. "I could always turn you into toilet paper and set you in the boy's loo!"

"Yuck!" Morgan exclaimed putting down her turkey sandwich.

"Your disgusting…why am I sitting with you?" Lily asked.

"Because you love me!" James announced to an annoyed Lily.

"Well, since James' wildest fantasies and Lily's most terrifying nightmares are coming true, I guess that means that nightmare you had about us having kids is going to come true, _dear_." Avril smirked in a dreamy like state as Sirius scoffed.

"No, thanks." Sirius retorted.

"You don't want kids?" Lily asked. "I thought you like kids…well I mean like little ones. I can see you as a father…sort of…"

Sirius thought he was going to be sick. "Yeah, their fine as long as I'm not responsible for 'em. I don't want kids in the least!"

"Why not?" Morgan asked rather curious.

Sirius' expression abruptly seemed to darken a great deal, "I don't want to turn out like my _parents_. Picking favorites and shit…I just get pissed thinking about them…," he growled, "fuckin' Regulus, the kiss ass." he mumbled off-hand.

Avril's eyebrow quirked, "Who's Regulus?" she asked the long, black haired teen.

"My kiss ass of a younger brother. Mummy and daddy's little _bestest_ boy!" he said sarcastically forking to death his melted tuna sandwich.

"Bestest isn't a word, Padfoot!" Peter chuckled grabbing a handful of potato chips and landing them next to his chicken sandwich.

Avril touched Sirius' hand that was stabbing the defenseless sandwich, he gave her a half-hearted smile that wasn't real in anyway and Avril realized that Sirius Black had his dark side that he used his joking and pranking to hide his true emotions behind--- she did the same thing. Sirius and Avril both radiated confidence that wasn't _really _there, but was only faked by their humor and laughs that gave the impression that they could take anything anyone said, but the truth in it all was that sometimes one just stopped caring what other people thought.

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Remus' eyes scanned the hallway as he pulled Hayden into a never used classroom from the look and sat her down at one of the several abandoned chairs before sitting across from her. Trying his best to think of the best way to approach her on this matter, his only hope was that she wouldn't freak out. Running his fingers through his hair, Hayden gave him an apprehensive look as he moved his chair closer to her, pulling it across the stone flooring with a loud scraping sound.

"Remus what's going on?" asked Hayden as she looked rather worried. "Are…are you breaking up with me, is that why you pulled me in here, so I wouldn't make a sense?"

Remus nearly choked trying to stifle his laughter and finally regaining composure said, "No, of course not…," but mumbled. "you're probably the one that'll be wanting to break up with me after this."

"So…if you're not breaking up with me, what's so important that you had to drag me in here to tell me?" she asked.

The teen decided to slowly approach the matter and see if she could piece it together by herself, "Okay, you know how sometimes there are times you can't find me or just a couple of days before I disappear sometimes I get ah…for the lack of a better word, more aggressive and rather ah…pale?"

"Yeah, but I thought you weren't feeling well." she stated simply--- Merlin bless her ignorance!

"Have you ever noticed that I disappear about once a month for three days or so?" he asked.

"Not really, it's not like I keep twenty-four hour surveillance on you, Remus." Hayden retorted, crossing her arms over her chest in annoyance.

The teen sighed and lowered his head trying to figure another way to tip-toe around the bush, "Okay then, remember when you girl's asked what our animagus forms were?" Hayden nodded her head. "Well I don't have one…though I do _change_ once a month…Sirius, James and Peter learned to become animagus' to keep me company and sort of in line in case anything might happen."

Realization spread across Hayden's face and she stood, her chair sliding back.

"You're…you're a…" she stammered.

"Lycan…or werewolf if you'd like to call it that." Remus retorted watching her carefully. Would she scream, back away from his touch, never speak to him again? Remus had anticipated all these things and knew sooner or later it would come.

Hayden paced the room, looking at him before she burst out and said, "So that means you go puffy butt once a month?" she asked.

Remus had to bite his tongue to hold back his laughter, "Yeah, I guess you could say that." he answered.

"Does that mean you…I mean are you taking Wolfsbane potion then?"

"Yeah…actually Avril---" the boy was cut off.

"Avril knows too?"

"Yeah, she figured it out end of last term." he said softly, unconsciously running his fingers through his sandy hair.

"So, why are you telling this to me now after we've been together for almost a year?" Hayden questioned taking a seat back down on her chair, moving it towards him.

"I…well I just…I liked the time we spent together and…I just…I didn't want it to go away!" he said softly looking down at his trainers soundly terribly sad. "I know you probably want to break up with me---"

"What gave you that impression?" she asked cocking her head to one side to catch his gaze.

Remus' head shot up, "You don't…want to break up with me?" he asked completely taken aback.

"C'mon look at me!" she said waving her hands in the air madly. "I'm stuck in the middle of six brothers, living on a secluded, nearly empty island on the off season with the exception of my grandfather that can at times go hours without end about how he hates the Italians _AND_ my best friend is a fuckin' _vampire!_ Not to mention heaven and hell must have traded places because James Potter is Head Boy! Do you actually think I'd get that phased by this?!"

That was _not_ what Remus was expecting to say the least and Hayden moved her chair closer to his so their legs were angled between the others.

"I surprised you're not a…an _alien_ with how good you are at school and stuff!" she declared get a snort of laughter from Remus who smile softly, "Plus considering how _amazingly_ sexy you are..." she trailed off, the young man felt his face redden and she smiled, chuckling upon which she kissed his lips firmly.

Remus kissed her back eagerly, his tongue running along her lips softly, seeking entrance upon which she granted. Parting her lips to allow his tongue to touch hers hesitantly, he felt her familiar tongue ring he had found out about in the kitchen near beginning of last term. Their first kissed shared as his confidence had soared when she stated she found him more attractive than the lady-killer Sirius, with whom she rather despised if not hated. As his hands came to rest on her hips, her own held to his arms at the elbows as they continued to kiss, deepening it wantonly.

Remus was happy beyond measure he was for sure of, Hayden didn't run away and break up with him--- she stayed!

The two broke away from their kiss, smiling stupidly at each other before Remus said, "Hayden I…Hayden I---" he started.

"I love you Remus!" she said all in one rush, scanning his eyes briefly before blushing and once again since their first kiss, Remus wondered how far down the blush went. "So there's no getting rid of me, now."

The aforementioned boy was more than surprised that was for sure, "I…I wouldn't dream of it…," he stammered realizing the good buzz that had come over him with her acceptance of what he was, was suddenly gone at her announcement of love for him. Remus didn't know if he felt the same way for her or if it even went beyond that of extreme like.

Hayden smiled looking uneasy, "Well I don't feel like a complete git for saying that," she said sarcastically giving a weak smile.

Remus really didn't know what to say and so he just gazed at her.

"It's okay I understand that I…that I sprung it on you. It's not like you have to say it back." Hayden said softly.

The air was suddenly stagnate and the awkward silence between the teens was growing worse, "Hayden I…I'm happy that you said that you…that you love me, but---" Remus was cut off.

"Don't know if you feel that way about me…right?" she said sadly.

"It's not that I don't have feelings for you, because I do!" he said. "I just don't know if I feel that way just yet,"

Hayden chuckled and stood the sadness evident on her face.

"Hayden please you've got to understand." Remus said softly, taking stand next to her.

Hayden sighed. "I understand Remus. I don't want you to say it just to say it."

"Exactly. I want to say it when I…," the teen suddenly felt his words were hurting her. "…mean it."

The girl nodded her head and kissed Remus softly. "I'll be waiting…I mean if it ever happens."

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Avril sat with Sirius in the common room as they had a free period after lunch, actually they had several free periods, but the two usually did nothing, unlike Lily who was studying like crazy for N.E.W.T's, chiding them once in a blue moon as she was too busy to fully chide them. James was immersed in N.E.W.T class homework being that Lily made him study as well, demanding that he set an example as he was Head Boy--- needless to say he just sat there with a sugar quill in his mouth watching Lily.

"Lilykins do you wanna marry me?" he asked sweetly and the girl grunted.

"Ah huh, whatever." she mumbled and James looked like Christmas had come early.

"Evans I just asked you if you'd marry me and you said 'yes'?!" James retorted putting his hand on her book covering whatever she was taking notes on.

"Oh, what?" she asked upon realizing what she had done. "There's no way I'd marry you! I wasn't paying any attention to what you were saying. I want to be prepared for the N.E.W.T's so please stop bothering me."

"It's only October!" James cried out throwing his hands into the air.

Sirius and Avril sat on the dark blue velvety couch in front of the crackling fire as its flames licked the hearth. Sirius was in a foul mood as it seemed due to even bring up his little brother for a fraction of a second. People talked about them in happy moods blistering about the Halloween dance and Avril wondered briefly if she and Sirius would be going together, but one might think it an obvious thing, Avril did not. He was in such a bad mood she wondered if it might continue until the thirty-first and would decide not to go at all and she sighed heavily. McGonagall was actually going to let her have a night off to attend because she herself wanted to go and didn't trust the girl alone.

"Evans I've been meaning to ask, but are you going to the Halloween Ball with anyone?" James asked running his hand through his hair.

"No, why?" she asked not looking at him for she still dug through her books.

"Really?" James said sounding rather excited. "Well, actually I was wonder if…if you'd go to the Ball with me?"

Lily this time actually looked up to him with uncertainty in her eyes as James looked a rather nervous wreck, "Yeah, sure…I'd like that." she smiled softly.

James tried to keep his growing grin in check, but was failing miserably and said, "Great! I'll be waiting down in the entrance hall then!"

"Alright then." Lily said softly.

Sirius chuckled as he watched Peter stumble down the stairs a bit and dash off.

"Yeah Wormtail where are you going?" Sirius asked watching the teen disappear out the portrait hole.

"Ask a girl to the Ball!" the boy yelled back from the hallway and James and Sirius shot up looking over to Remus who was sitting in his favorite over stuffed arm chair nearest the crackling fire.

"I gotta see this girl!" James said shooting up, Sirius disappearing after him.

Remus shook his head and got up as well smiling softly as he always was with gentle patience while he too followed after his friends.

Sure enough Peter had asked a young Hufflepuff girl who was in her sixth year to the Ball and the girl had agreed. Sirius was rather surprised, having had suspected that the girl might be on his scale ugly, but she was actually decent and James and himself had cheered Peter on, of course while the boy was in the midst of asking. Needless to say Peter was rather pink in the face and had punched their arms to the point of bruising.

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"So are you guys going to the Ball too?" Peter asked as they made their way from Herbology.

"Yeah." James retorted. "I'm going with Evans!"

"I had forgotten she had agreed. Are you sure you didn't drug her first?" Remus asked chuckling with Sirius and Peter.

James' chest puffed up and he said, "No I did not!" he growled.

Remus put his hands up in defeat.

"So I take it you told Hayden about your furry little problem?" Sirius stated rather than asked.

James and Peter looked at Remus worriedly which drained from their faces as Remus' own began to glow and a smile crept to his lips that turned into a smirk.

"Yeah." he answered simply.

James' eyebrows rose, "So guess from your smile, she's okay with it?" he asked.

Remus nodded his head curtly and began humming to himself in a happy tune.

"Oh boy." Peter retorted laughing while their made their way into Transfiguration with McGonagall.

As the four entered the room it was completely different. Instead of rows of desks and chairs there sat two large rows of single tables rising up after another on either side of the classroom as though in an auditorium. Sirius looked about see that Lily and Avril where in the third row, just from the top that wasn't filled quite yet and the teen directed his best mates into the top row behind the girl's who where fiddling with something on their desk.

"So think we should match?" James asked off-handedly before Remus could mutter a hello the girl's.

"Match what?" Remus asked digging through his bag, pulling out his _Advanced Transfiguration Year 7_ book and flipping to the desired page set on the chalkboard.

"Our costumes," said James as though his friend was an idiot. "I'm thinkin' nineteen-twenty's Mafia!"

"I like that, but what's the Mafia?" said Sirius running his fingers through his hair nonchalantly as several girls down the row looked longingly at him.

"The Mafia is a crime syndicate in the U.S. prominently based in New York. In the nineteen-twenty's their style of dress were pinstriped single or double breasted suits," Remus replied as matter-of-factly. "I've got a pinstriped suit at home funny enough, but I'd have to buy the hat and shoes."

Sirius shrugged off Remus' knowledgeable accounts like he always did, "Sounds like fun!" he said.

"Yeah I like it!" Peter squeaked.

"Good then it's a plan! We can go down to Hogsmeade and get the stuff this weekend. I saw the stuff in one of the shop windows. They've got tons of junk so we should be able to put it together!" said James rather excited in it all.

"You think we should get the girl's to match us?" Peter asked.

"Nah, let 'em come as they want." Sirius said waving the smaller boy off.

McGonagall abruptly screeched out about Animagus transfiguration and the proper concentration it called for as the Marauders broke out into hushed laughter.

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"So, love what are you going as?" Sirius asked tucking himself in next to Avril at breakfast Saturday morning, as she looked longingly at the beacon floating by on a silver platter.

"Myself."

"Huh?" Sirius said rather confused, "You could go as yourself cuz you are kinda frightening! I've been wondering why you've been wearing a Halloween mask all year!" he laughed.

"Bet that took you all morning to think of." she said irritably hunched over, watching more food float by.

Sirius chuckled, "What's wrong, you don't look so good." he said matter-of-factly.

Avril rolled her eyes and straightened up; snatching the last piece of toast off the floating rack that a first year was going for, the young student rather frightened by her, zip off back to his friend's when suddenly a voice rang out.

"Miss Potter, Miss Potter!" a young girl squeaked running the length of the table to the aforementioned girl's position, Remus and the other's watching the scene unfold with mild curiosity.

The girl looked no more than a second year, her blonde hair pulled back in a pony tail at the side of her head, down near her neck, her earrings dangling precariously as her robe looked twice her size, trailed behind her.

"Miss Potter you got away from me so quickly!" she said in a squeak and Sirius couldn't help but smile at her endearing manner. The girl must have suddenly only noticed Sirius and the others because she squeaked yet again and jumped slightly. "I'm sorry I didn't notice your friend's."

"Yes, we can be invisible like that at times when in the overpowering light of the great Miss Potter." James said mockingly as he waved his hand across the air gracefully.

"Oh do be quiet!" Lily chided James before turning to the young girl, "Hello, Evelyn." she smiled sweetly.

The young girl blushed slightly and smiled back softly, "Hello, Miss Evans." she said.

"I said that it was alright to call me Lily, Evelyn." Lily said as James snickered beside her.

"Oh, no that's okay, Miss Evans." the girl known as Evelyn said softly.

Lily sighed slightly and gestured to James starting to introduce him and the others each by name to Avril's distress.

"This git beside me is James Potter---" Lily started.

"Yes, I know. He's the Gryffindor Quidditch Captain and Chaser. Miss Potter's older brother and one of the four Marauders who goes by the nickname Prongs. He's had a crush on you Miss Evans since second year and has been asking you out since." Evelyn said completely proud of herself for knowing him.

James looked stunned and didn't know whether to be thrilled for a fan or scared that she could recite that all at once!

"Stalker!" Peter said softly so only Remus, James and Sirius could hear and they broke out into a mix of hilarity and nervous laughter.

Evelyn nodded her head to Peter who went stiff. "That's Peter Pettigrew who is of one the Marauders and goes by the nickname Wormtail and he's excellent marks in Herbology!"

Avril's head suddenly slammed against the table, though the sudden noise didn't distress the others.

"That's Remus Lupin who has top marks in all his classes!" the second year squeaked at a higher pitch that caused Remus to jump a bit, while a smile spread across her face. "He's also a part of the Marauders and his friend's call him Moony and he's currently dating Hayden Fredericks that he's been with for nearly a year! He's the nicest of the four. And that's Sirius Black---" the girl nodded her head in Sirius direction and the aforementioned teen let his eyebrow arch.

"His friend's call him Padfoot and is a Beater on the Gryffindor Quidditch team since his third year. He's been dating Miss Potter, Mister Potter's little sister since end of last term and before that he was the school's resident playboy. Mostly known for snogging the female population in a broom closet on the second floor and shagging only a few girls he deemed worthy of his 'Greatness' in an empty classroom."

Lily's hands slapped over her own mouth as Remus burst out in such laughter that his glass of orange juice was knocked off the table; James whooped out and double up, burying his face in his arms on the table, his shoulder shaking just as hard as Remus' who by this time had tears running down his face. Peter snorted in his cereal, trying to control his hysterics to no avail as Hayden cackled and Morgan doubled up crying.

Sirius stared at her blankly, his mouth hung open a fraction, but the second year continued as though none of the commotion was going on around her. "I really don't understand why Miss Potter dates him. She could find much better guys that would love to be with her!"

At this James tipped off the bench, kicking his feet madly in the air as his laughter was causing him to lose breath and be unable to draw any in. Remus' laughter was dying down and he was wiping away his tears with the sleeve of his sweater when they were renewed with great vigor at the statement. The whole commotion of it all was found rather amusing to the Headmaster as he sat in his high-backed chair late that morning, his eyes watching the scene over his half moon spectacles as a smile graced his lips before tucking in a spoon of O-Loopy cereal.

"Why you little---" Sirius snapped wanting to ring the girl's neck, but was stopped when James abruptly wrapped his arm around the girl after straightening himself up off the floor.

"I think I'm in love!" he declared, the young girl blushing at his touch. "You've definitely gotten brownie points in my eyes!"

"How do you know all that stuff about us?" Remus asked wiping off his face.

"I'm friends with Mark Fredericks." Evelyn answered.

"My little brother!" Hayden said

"How many little brothers do you have?" James asked taking his seat again trying not to snort his orange juice up his nose at the second years earlier statements.

"She has three," Remus replied off-handedly. "I had completely forgotten the twins, Nick and Wyatt had graduated!"

"Evelyn what did you want to tell Avril before?" Lily asked changing the subject.

"Oh!" the small girl squeaked and jumped. "Miss Potter I was hoping I could get your autograph! I saw you play in the States on the Sweet-Water-All Stars and just thought you were brilliant! I know that you had a tough season two years ago, but I knew you'd make a comeback!!"

"WHAT?!" roared James. "You were on a Professional team?"

"NO! It was only for the summer before school started; I was a reserve at their practice matches!" Avril snapped her head still on the table. "I was dating their captain who had graduated from Salem two years ago at the time! I completely blew!! Didn't catch the snitch for two scrimmages!! Our side lost four of 'em!"

"Oh." James mumbled no longer excited.

Lily shook her head, "Lord your worthless." she said to James chuckling.

"Oh man I'd eat a _dragon_ to see him naked again!" Avril said rolling her head to lay on her right cheek, her arms and hands outstretched over the table.

Sirius hit her on the head softly, "When did you see him naked?" he demanded to know.

Avril's head shot up as Morgan laughed, "Well it's not like it was on purpose!" the girl said trying to defend herself, "I may have…walked in on him…in the boys locker room…while he was showering!" Avril said twirling the end of her hair around her fingers.

Morgan laughed, "More like on purpose!" she said. "If I remember _correctly_ you did it knowing he was in there alone!"

Avril laughed nervously as Sirius' expression hardened and she quickly got up from the table out of her boyfriend's reaching grasp.

"Okay so it was on purpose!" she shouted dashing from the Great Hall.

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A/N: LONG ASS CHAPTER!! WHOO! So what do you think so far? You think I'm staling still? Not really, but I didn't add the Halloween ball because it would have made the chapter extra longer! Though it was supposta happen in this chapter, it just got too long. So Remus told his girlfriend (Hayden) about being a Lycan. Think she was too accepting too quick? HAHA you'll have to find out why and what happens between the two because you will find out, oh you will!_

_I can actually say that this story is going to be **30 chapters plus an epilogue** long! DAMN!! I've outlined the whole story and chapters needed._

_- I know that I said that Avril was sixteen, but I thought that James was the same age as Sirius. Sirius is 18 when he graduates from Hogwarts. Had to do the math (seriously) and determine the years to know what year they graduated and how old. Had no idea Sirius was a year older than James. So Avril is only fifteen the start of her seventh year, but will turn sixteen in mid-term. Such confusion when you don't do the math like me! I could spend hours on these numbers and go mad!!!_

_- I own all OC's and no canons…yet…_

_- I own the plot of the story and all other odd junk that isn't canon!_


	23. Innocence

_A/N: I had __way__ too much fun writing this chapter! I actually got across the three points I wanted to without making the chapter killer long. _

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**_  
Chapter 23: Innocence_**

November rolled around with ease as it usually did, though Avril still had detention and as McGonagall had said that it was her last month of it, Avril and her friend's decided to celebrate in Hogwarts kitchen, having a bit of a midnight pantry raid.

"So, James will have to replace you temporarily then?" Lily asked looking up from her piece of strawberry rhubarb pie.

"Yeah...when did you start calling my brother by this first name?" Avril asked catching on.

"They hit it off at the Halloween Ball." Hayden said cheekily and Lily blushed ever so slightly.

"When did that happen?" asked Avril genuinely confused.

"You were snoggin' Sirius." Hayden chuckled.

A smile spread across Avril's face, "Oh right." she said brushing a strand of loose hair from her face.

"What was that all about anyway?" Morgan asked. "I thought you two were gonna eat each other's faces off!"

The four laughed as Hayden choked on her pie, spilling some down her blue and white jersey that labeled some muggle basketball star.

"He was claiming he was the better kisser." Avril said nonchalantly.

"Oh, so he was jealous of that quidditch captain guy?" Lily asked before taking a drink of her pumpkin juice.

"I guess," suddenly Avril broke out into fits of laughter. "Kept suggesting that he looked way better naked and even offered to show me!"

Morgan cackled at Lily who choked on her drink and spit it across the table--- thank Merlin no one was sitting across from her directly.

"So basically he wanted to have sex." Hayden said as though they discussed it all the time--- though the girls surprisingly did on a regular basis.

"It's not like he hasn't shagged other girl's," Morgan said patting Lily on the back. "I'm sure it's more than a good half of the female population."

"Excuse me but he has not shagged me!" Hayden spat and Lily nodded her head with her friend.

"Okay then not us, but---" Morgan was cut off.

"Actually he's only been with three girls." Avril said suddenly, instantly regretting it as her friend's mouths hung open.

"What?!" they said in unison.

The girl sighed deeply, "He's only slept with three girls and he said the first one was a complete disaster!"

Lily scoffed, "And you believed him?" she asked.

"I don't see why not. The first time for men can be…for the lack of a better word, hard! With how eager they might be and well…you know!" Avril said trying to get her words out and not sound perverted.

Hayden chuckled abruptly, "So does that mean you know about their um…eagerness?" she asked and the others waited for their friend to answer.

"I'm not discussing this!" retorted Avril, digging into her cherry pie that she shoveled into her mouth to avoid answering their questions.

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"Oi where're you going?" Morgan asked as Hayden headed off in a different direction then their common room.

"I'm gonna for a walk!" the girl declared.

"Okay, be careful!" Lily called.

"Yes, mummy!" teased Hayden and was rewarded with Lily's tongue stuck out at her.

Hayden walked outside of the open double doors that looked way to heavy and large to attempt to open on one's own, then again they were always open, but the gates were locked as per normal, especially since Avril had broken the heavy gates just a bit down the front courtyard just the start of last term. Surprisingly enough the gates were open ever so slightly and Hayden who hadn't expected them to be grew curious as she approached to see the locket and chains loosely held on the slightly ajar gate. There was just enough room for someone to slip through.

"That's odd." she mumbled.

Shaking it off she sucked in the air around her trying to make herself smaller for her chest was getting in the way. Getting through the gate easily she sauntered off down the familiar grassy lawn of the school's grounds as the full moon lit up the sky and bathed the ground in its radiance. Remus came to the forefront of her mind, making the girl wonder if he was okay that night--- under the full moon. Making her way down to the lake where the squid resided, the full moon and sky reflected across the placid lake as though the clouds were swirled in artful and beautiful paint of dark blues, pinks and silver hues. It was so gorgeous.

A sudden noise started the young girl when the water in the lake shifted and a large tentacle sailed out of the water, stretching towards her.

"Hello, you!" she said aloud patting its water wet limb while it curled around her hand softly and gently as if saying 'hello'.

Slowly it sank back into the water and once again the lake reflected the sky in such a beautiful manner, Hayden found herself lying out across the ground, stretching her limbs. The wind blew across the grounds in a warm breeze that was odd for November and Hayden rolled over onto her side watching the sky as she thought of Remus wishing she could share this kind of thing with him, but that he was more than likely in pain and she felt bad for enjoying herself on such a night when abruptly a shrill bark broke the calming silence and Hayden shot up.

A growl erupted to her left and her head swung around to view a large spectral black dog, his fangs bearing as his jowls quivered with each warning muffled bark he gave. The dog's ears laid flat against his head as he approached as though she an enemy that might take a swing at him when a second animal came into view, towering above the first.

"A stag?" Hayden mumbled looking at the animal in disbelief. Wait--- was that a rat on its antlers? ---IT WAS!!

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"_Calm down Prongs, let's hope it doesn't last that long." Remus retorted stuffing his face._

_James attempted to retaliate when Lily cut him off. "I've been meaning to ask, but what's with the nicknames?"_

"_What do you mean?" said Peter nervously._

"_Yeah I've been wondering about that too." said Hayden and Avril in unison, Morgan nodding her head in agreement, unable to speak at the time with eggs full in her mouth._

"_Well you guys call each other these weird nicknames, like Prongs, Wormtail, Moony and Padfoot." Lily replied watching their expressions._

_James and the others laughed nervously._

_Avril eyeballed Sirius, "I always hear Remus and the others call you Padfoot," she said looking him up and down. "But the only things that have pads on their feet are some animals….are you an animagus?"_

_Remus and James snorted out their pumpkin and orange juice, spraying it across the table and covering Lily, Sirius and Avril's faces._

"_Thanks." Lily mumbled wiping off her face as the other two did as well._

"_She was right wasn't she?!" Hayden asked getting excited, while Remus looked to be getting worried._

"_What are you? What can you turn into?" asked Avril when a realization suddenly spread across her face. "You were that black mutt by the Black Lake that kept trying to nuzzle me a few months after my fa-- Uncles death!"_

_Sirius' looked flustered when James unexpectedly let the whole thing go. "You were trying to nuzzle on her? …shit." he said realizing what he had done._

"_Sweet what can the rest of you turn into?" asked Morgan._

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"Sirius?" Hayden mumbled as she shook herself from her memories.

The dog's eyes seemed to soften a great deal and his growling had come to a halt as she looked between him, the stag and rat.

"Prongs and Wormtail," she mumbled. "That does explain the names. So…James your animagus form is…a…DEER!"

Hayden burst out laughing as she literally rolled along the ground kicking her feet madly, her silver-white hair catching bits of half broken leaves.

"Oh this is rich! Avril is gonna tear the mickey out of you!!" she sat up catching the Stags frowning look and the dog sat down onto his hunches, "At least Sirius and Peter have got teeth to bite with, but…hahaha…hold on….hahahaha…wait…give me a growl Prongsie!" Hayden mocked a growl and grinded her teeth together to the dogs amusement who huffed out a laugh in his own manner to speak.

Hayden fell onto her side laughing when a sudden bark split the air as it howled looking for its friend's. Sirius shot up as the owner of the noise came into view, the animal was quite larger than Sirius' form, the dog--- no wolf looked like it could contend in height with its friend as it approached cautiously watching its friend's wondering seemingly what they were up to as it came closer. It's sandy and white color fur looked hot on its body as its dark brown eyes caught sight of Hayden and it froze sniffing the air precariously.

Sirius placed his form before Hayden that sat upon the ground watching the scene unfold and the stag lowered its head as though to attack with its antlers, but it didn't move as the rat leapt from his high perch and scuttled up to Hayden's leg looking up to her. Sirius growled heavily as the wolf approached, its eyes locked on the young girl.

"…Remus?" the young girl asked as her brows knitted together.

The wolf's eyes looked soft as she spoke and it bounded towards her; Sirius broke off in large growling barks that felt like they'd shatter Hayden's ear drums and the wolf barked back. Whatever it said to Sirius, the dog back way letting his friend approach the girl who removed her hands from her ears. Needless to say, Hayden was beyond scared, what if he hurt her, why did Sirius let him get this close, why---

"Remus!" Hayden suddenly giggled as the wolf licked happily at her cheeks, slobbering her thoroughly and when he was pleased, plopped himself down onto his hunches.

Sirius and James followed suit sitting themselves down as Sirius stretched out rolling onto his back, fling himself from side to side seemingly trying to scratch an itch as Peter scuttled back up onto James' antlers and the animagus shook his head playfully trying to shake off the rat that gripped onto his horns.

"Aren't you a pretty wolf," Hayden teased softly, touching his ears that he bowed his head for her to reach as her fear melted away. "Well, I should say handsome."

Remus cocked his head while her hand scratched behind his ear lovingly and his eyes closed in a trance at the same time as his hind leg jiggled a bit and Sirius gave a muffled bark as it had to have been teasing him because Remus' head shot up and tongue lapped across Sirius' face slobber him as well. The dog was needless to say disgusted as he pulled his paws over his muzzle and face trying to wipe it all off.

Hayden's hand raked through Remus' fur as he lay beside her on the ground under the sky watching the clouds meandering above them. Several hours had passed and Sirius had fallen asleep on his back, his hind legs kicking in the air at random moments when he must have been having a particularly good dream--- maybe of chasing rabbits? James was curled in on himself as though he were a cat as Peter lay against Remus side trying to keep his small body warm and Hayden felt herself begin to doze off, her fingers curling and uncurling around the soft hair.

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The gentle stirring beside the girl woke her up combined with the light peeking in through the window, spreading across her face and the girl bolted upright. She had fallen asleep outside, so where was she? Looking about the room she took in James, Sirius and Peter's sleeping forms along the room in different spots. Sirius spread out on the bed in the corner across the room as James slept in a hotel lounge looking chair that had loads of torn cloth while Peter slept on the floor on a ridiculous amount of blankets and pillows. The room in general looked as though it had most definitely seen better days to say the least as the walls were covered in deep gash marks; the fireplace crackled while its flames licked at the inside of the hearth meekly.

Looking to see that she was lying in a large four posted bed she felt someone shift beside her and she nearly cried out in fear, her line of vision finding Remus sound asleep beside her, his arm draped across her waist. His face snuggled the pillow he laid on as he seemed to be searching for something in his sleep. Hayden calmed down, laying herself back down next to her boyfriend and she fluttered and shook out the blankets when her eyes widened in abrupt horror---- Remus was naked!_  
_

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_  
A/N: Your good if you caught one of the points that isn't blurted out in GIANT CAPS!! Lol! You'll get a cyber cookie! So I had loads of fun with the last bit and it just came out so easily. It's like one in the morning here and I tried not to laugh so loud my next door people would hear. Haha ha. I love cliffhangers!_

_Also I'm sure some people are gonna be like 'Wait he'd attack!', but you've got to remember that Avril sometimes can get to make the Wolfsbane mix when she can get the stuff and time. Keep that in mind. Gotta keep reading to find out!  
_


	24. Good at Pretending

_A/N: Long chapter at least on my end! Hope the wait was okay._

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**_  
Chapter 24: __Good at Pretending  
_**

Hayden froze as Remus shifted a bit; draping his leg slightly over her pajama covered leg and she went ridged feeling something she really didn't want to quite yet in their relationship. A whimper slipped from her lips that turned into a quiet body shaking laugh. Hayden's face contorted as she attempted to bite back her laughter that jeopardized to put her at risk as it slipped from her lips and a thought meandered across her pool of thoughts to the very forefront of her mind. No, she couldn't do that…could she? That would totally contradict her earlier notion! Well--- maybe just a little---

Hayden tentatively started to lift the black bed sheet that covered the two thinly.

"_Just a little peek won't hurt…"_ Hayden contemplated as the sheet lifted higher bit by bit.

Higher the sheet went until she could practically bring it over her head.

"_Shit I can't see anything! Damn Remus…move your leg!"_ Hayden cussed in her mind, Remus laying half on his side and half on his stomach, his leg still over Hayden's own.

Remus suddenly shifted and let out a stifling yawn, startling the girl who dropped the sheet as though she had been caught red handed and for a split second thought of denying it all, but realized that Remus hadn't noticed and was just starting to wake.

Yawning again Remus' eyes fluttered open and a sweet smile crossed his pale features, "Hey, you," he mumbled. "What are you doing in here with me, keeping me company?"

Hayden laughed nervously, "I really don't know how I got in here in the first place," she said.

"I asked James to bring you up here," Remus retorted groggily, "Didn't want you to get a cold outside and it would be funny with him carrying you inside at night if he got ca-- ca-- caught," he stifled a yawn.

"Ah…yeah…I guess," Hayden mumbled as Remus' arm pulled her closer against his body as he rolled onto his side.

Remus snuggled his face against her neck, giving the skin a quick kiss, feeling Hayden quick pulse beneath.

"Is something wrong?" he asked as though half asleep.

"Oh, you could say that," the girl mumbled softly. "Ah…Remus do you…do you know you're ah…naked?"

The teen seemed to wake up immediately, shooting up in bed, clutching the covers about him as muffled snickers filtered through pillows and pierced lips.

"You assholes!" Remus roared abruptly grabbing something up off the side table chucking it in Sirius' vicinity as something also flew through the air toward James making contact with his gut.

"Ow, haha hahahaha," James clutched his stomach laughing on the tore up taupe colored Queen Anne bench.

Sirius roared with laughter as another object flew by his head when suddenly the side table itself flew in his direction and he jumped off the other non-sheeted bed running for cover behind Peter's sleeping form on the floor amongst his pile of pillows and blankets.

"You were supposta wake me up right after I changed back!" Remus growled pulling the sheets about him as his cheeks burned a bright red. "Not haul me into the same bed with her. No less naked!"

"We couldn't help it mate. We did cover you up with a sheet before we put you in there!" James protested, but his laughter wasn't helping his situation. "We didn't expect you to _strip_ yourself of the bed sheet and get skin to skin!"

"Well at least you two have been more intimate with each other than you would have!" Sirius laughed bolting up ducking behind James as Remus stormed after them with the black bed sheet held tightly about his waist.

"I'm gonna make sure your family can't identify your bodies!" growled Remus as he chased James and Sirius about the room, the two boys finally finding it helpfully to hide behind Hayden and use her as a shield.

"You wouldn't hurt her to get to us, would you?" James asked chuckling.

Remus grumbled to himself looking rather cross and embarrassed, "Where are my clothes," he demanded.

"Under Peter," Sirius retorted pointing.

Rudely and very much unlike Remus though given his anger he pushed Peter over with his bare foot and snatched up his clothes and left the room, to slam the door on another.

"Think he'll stay mad?" James asked as he and Sirius sat on the edge of the bed.

"I'd say so," Hayden chimed in.

"Ah, not for long, he'll forgive and forget," Sirius replied.

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The sandy haired teen refused to talk to Sirius and James for the next few days, but had decided to try and talk to Hayden without blushing furiously.

"Hayden," Remus called catching up to her after her Muggle Studies Class.

"Hey, love," she smiled brightly.

"Ah listen about what happened…," Remus trailed off.

"It's okay. I didn't see anything if that's what you're worried about," she continued to smile in spite of the blush creeping up Remus' face.

"No that's not it. I want to thank you…for not being…afraid of me that night," he replied softly.

Hayden sighed, "To tell you the truth I was afraid at first, but you started to lick me…," she chuckled.

The two laughed as Remus' blush disappeared slowly.

"It was dangerous for you to be out that late, especially during the full moon," he said in hushed voice. "You were lucky I was on the Wolfsbane that night."

Hayden sighed again. Now he was reprimanding her?

"I'm usually in the shack, but sometimes James and the others don't want to be cooped up in there so we go out once in awhile. You've got to promise not to go outside when there's a full moon anymore, please?" Remus begged. "I don't know what I'd do if I hurt you or anyone else for that matter."

Remus grabbed up Hayden's hand in his own, giving it a squeeze gazing into her dark blue eyes with his own pleading dark brown.

"Alright," she mumbled giving in.

Remus smiled softly regardless of his unsure thoughts of Hayden's promise, "We've Divination next. Sit with us?" he asked wrapping his arm about her waist while they walked.

The girl nodded her head at the same time as they headed to the stairs that would bring them up to the ladder that lead to the Divination classroom.

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Sirius and James had told Avril about everything that had happened those first few days, but the girl choose not to say anything, but instead waited for her childhood friend to approach her about keeping Remus' secret that she never had told his girlfriend about. When it never happened, Avril was rather surprised expecting Hayden to complain about her, but instead the two had barely spoken over the past few weeks, let alone the few days ago that it all happened. Was Hayden truly mad with her?

Avril was buried in her thoughts when Lily pinched her rudely.

"Ow," the girl mumbled rubbing her arm.

"I was talking to you," Lily retorted rather annoyed that her friend hadn't been listening to her needed advice.

"Sorry, what were you saying?" asked Avril rubbing away the bruise.

"I was asking you to give me some advice about James. He _is_ your brother," Lily replied.

"Oh, what'd you want to know?"

"Don't you think he's acting a lot better than he was last term?" the red head asked.

"Yeah if you mean he hasn't been pranking random people in the hall and he can actually fit his head through the door without breaking the foundation then, I'd say so," Avril chuckled softly.

Lily smiled at the image in her head, "Yeah he's completely changed, well at least as much as he can."

"So I take it that he managed to change your thoughts on him at the Halloween Ball huh?"

Lily chuckled, "Yeah, a bit. He's actually quite sweet. So I was thinking of giving him a chance," the girl retorted. "You think he'd ask me out?"

Avril looked shocked, "Is that a rhetorical question?" she joked. "Of course he'd ask. He's always asking isn't he?"

Lily giggled softly, "No not lately."

"Maybe he's learned to back off a little to give you a breather," Avril replied as they headed to their shared Ancient Runes class.

"I'm grateful for it, don't get me wrong, but---," Lily was cut off.

"You're falling for the old Potter charm," Avril smiled, "Considering who our father was---," the girl felt her body freeze, she hadn't meant to say that, she prayed to Merlin that Lily hadn't caught on, but it seemed her prayers went unanswered.

"What do you mean 'was'?" Lily asked rather confused.

"I meant 'is'," Avril tried to cover up quickly. "I meant considering who our father _is_."

Lily sensed her friend had slipped out something she hadn't meant to and part of her wanted to push the matter, but her other side won the fight and she merely nodded her head in understanding.

If Avril's heart worked it might have been slamming against her rib cage, but it didn't work so it wasn't. The only thing that happened was an abrupt cold sweat broke over her skin and her pulse raced. The magic in itself strange that as a vampire she could have a pulse, have her brain work, but her heart, lungs and other organs besides that of her bladder be dead. The magic was ancient, old and tainted and its workings were a mystery to even those oldest of her kind. A vampire could go mad trying to figure it out, just like one could longing for the taste of food it once had before being turned. That reminded her---

Avril pulled her bag about as they neared their classroom, "Here I heard that you had an essay to do for the Ministry of Magic for the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures. Morgan told me that's what you're aiming for after graduation. I had no clue,"

Lily watched as Avril pulled a book with a thick spine from her bag and handed it to her.

"I do believe we're listed under beings, but it's good chance we aren't," Avril laughed. "Might make an interesting essay,"

Lily looked down at the moderate sized book with a thick spine titled: _Vampires: The Masquerade_.

"Though I'm going to have to ask that you give it back to me after you're finished if you use it that is. My Uncle gave it to me. He said he got it from a vampire in the Far East who he told about my affliction," Avril confessed. "He said only a few hundred were ever published."

Lily looked awestruck, "Thank you! Of course I'll use it!" she said thumbing through the pages gently reading bits of sentences here and there.

Avril chuckled as they girl looked rather taken with it. She was sure she'd read the whole thing before the end of the day.

"You can ask me any questions you want; though I don't think I'll be that helpful. I've only been at it for a few years," said the girl softly.

Lily read aloud to herself softly, "'a vampire's appearance is much the same as they had in life. However, a vampire is often quite pale, with room-temperature skin and breathing only when necessary to speak or perform other feats.'… You don't breathe?" Lily asked in a hushed whisper astounded.

"No," chuckled Avril uneasily.

"Wow…," the red head mumbled looking back to the book as they entered class where she was forced to put it away.

As class entered into its half time Lily leaned over in the midst of class and in a hushed whisper said, "I've been meaning to ask, but you've a tattoo around your wrist in runes symbols. I was wonder what they meant, I can't translate some of them."

Avril smiled at her friend's comment, "Trying to slyly figure it out, huh?"

Lily blushed, "I didn't…I didn't mean to be rude, I was just…just wondering," she stuttered.

"It's okay," the black haired teen whispered back. "It's just a motto I go by. Nothing sinister."

"Oh, no of course not!" Lily said. "Though I suppose you're not going to tell me, huh?"

Avril merely smiled warmly and continued to take notes.

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By lunch time Lily had her nose deep in the book and looked similar to Severus on numerous occasions when he too had his nose deep in a book.

"What are you reading?" James asked tipping the book up to Lily's annoyance.

"Vampires the masquerade," he read aloud at the table.

"What are you reading that for when you've an open book next to you?" he asked in a whisper.

Lily ignored him, "You don't eat either?" she asked rather surprised as Avril plucked at her lamb.

"Nope."

James and the other's looked at her strangely watching her actions.

"What?" Sirius asked.

"Why not? We see you do all the time," Remus retorted.

"Keep reading Lily," Avril retorted taking a swig of her pumpkin juice.

Lily read aloud, "Unlike the vampires from before Cobatorie, they can eat and drink as normal, although they gain no nourishment from the process. The taste of such things is pleasurable but distant, ultimately unsatisfying compared to the taste of blood. New vampires have often tried to cling to the illusion of life until this too drives them into madness."

"So why do you eat then?" asked Peter curiously.

"It's found disgusting by other vampires, but it's good for the masquerade," Avril replied in a low voice so only they could hear her at their secluded area at the very end of the Gryffindor table. The next group of people a good few feet up the table from them.

"Well that blows," Sirius retorted.

"So are any of the legends true?" asked Peter.

"Like what?" asked Avril.

"Stakes!" Sirius retorted pretending to stab himself in the heart.

"No."

"Garlic?" asked Lily.

"No."

"Fire!"

"Yes."

"Silver?"

"Yes."

"So you're like Remus!" Sirius blurted out to the groups horror.

"Like Remus, what do you mean?" Lily questioned looking between Sirius and Remus, who was shooting daggers into his best mates head.

"Remus is allergic to silver. Rings and stuff have to be hypoallergenic if he wears it!" James quickly covered to Avril and Hayden's surprise.

"Oh," Lily mumbled going back to the book.

Remus pretended to throttle Sirius who mouthed, _"Sorry, it just slipped."_

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December crept up on them, Christmas close at hand and everyone was going home for the holiday except for Sirius who had decided to stay at Hogwarts with Avril who like last year wasn't going to the Potter's for the holiday. The girl was still rather determined to avoid the people that kept the secret of her birth from her. As snow fell outside and covered the grounds, Sirius, Peter, Remus and James trudged in the snow with several other students on their last Hogsmeade visit until the start of school after break. The girls that were staying for the holidays looked about the dress shops for things to wear to the annual Christmas Ball. While some couples disappeared in The Three Broomsticks and Madam Puddifoot's Tea Shop, Sirius watched a long blonde in an odd coat with fur around the hood talking to her friend's who had red and black hair. Their backs faced the boy while he surveyed them with curiosity as they pointed through the shop windows at the dresses.

"Who are they?" asked Sirius pointing over to the girls.

Remus, James and Peter wheeled around looking in the vicinity.

"It's probably Morgan, Avril and Lily," Remus retorted nonchalantly.

"Nah, Lily's hair isn't that long," James declared.

The unmistakable hair color of silver-white came into view as Hayden approached them laughing pointedly at their hair.

"Told you," Remus replied.

"Avril!" Sirius called and the young woman who turned around had long blonde hair that cascaded down her back over her black coats hood.

"Sirius!" she called back teasingly.

"You're blonde!" James yelled.

"Duh."

"So, who's the one with black hair?" asked Remus.

"Lily," Avril said nudging the girl.

"What I was looking---," the girl was cut off by James yelling.

"No, no, no! Go back to red! I like red better!" he cried out.

Morgan turned around to reveal she was the red head and laughed at James' reactions.

"He's terrible," she said.

"You can say that again," Avril mumbled.

"You look good with blonde hair!" Sirius called as the girl's moved into the muggle clothing shop.

"Uh huh," she said.

"I like you better with black though!"

"Okay."

James shook his head trying to get the image from his mind as the four disappeared into Zonko's Joke Shop.

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"So you going to be stuck with me all holiday," Sirius replied catching the blonde outside Honeydukes who carried several bags and one that presumably had to be a dress because it was carried in a white zipped up body length bag of its own.

"So it seems, love," she replied shifting the weight of the white bag over her shoulder and the weight of the other bags she had from several stores.

"I'll carry that if you want," retorted Sirius reaching out for it and the young woman let him have it and sling it over his shoulder. "So, what do you say to going to the Ball with me?"

Avril chuckled, "I thought you'd never ask!" she joked.

Sirius smiled curling his free arm about her waist as they walked, "Of course I would. Wouldn't want some other bloke asking you!"

The girl smiled back with something in her eyes that Sirius could quite describe.

"Is that what's in the bag?" he asked indicating the white bag slung over his shoulder. "Dress robes for the ball?"

"Ah, no. It's a muggle dress. I saw some of the other girl's buying them for the Ball and thought to," confessed Avril sheepishly.

"My dress robes should be okay then. It's practically a muggle suit anyway," Sirius smiled as they walked between the shops.

"No dodgy color, ay?" she chuckled.

Sirius managed a smile that the girl's swooned for, but Avril missed it yet again as she turned to wave at one of her friend's in a Slytherin colored scarf. Sirius sighed shaking his head with laughter.

"What's so funny?" she asked.

"Nothing," he replied looking over at one shop in particular. "Wanna go in Madam Puddifoot's?"

"I've never been in there, sure," she replied.

The girl immediately regretted her decision to go inside the shop with it's sickening over abundance of the holiday colors, green and red. The two got a seat by the window though one couldn't actually see out of as small white confetti like snowflakes were dumped unceremoniously onto their heads by floating Father Christmas' around the tables full of couples. The three table's closes to theirs were occupied by couples that snogged rather loudly. Avril tried not to watch the couple to her right that had decided to try tongue dancing outside of their mouths. She tried terribly hard not to watch and laugh.

Sirius carefully folded up the dress in its white wrapping and placed it in one the other bag's Avril carried in just as Madame Paddifoot bum rushed them.

"What would you dear's like?" she asked in a sing song voice the dripped with sweetness.

"Ah, just a cup of tea for me," Sirius replied before he looked over to Avril.

"Ah…got anything strong?" she asked shaking with laughter as the tongue dancing got worse.

The woman looked abashed, "This isn't The Three Broomsticks, sweetheart."

Sirius looked at her inquisitively.

"Just tea then," Avril chuckled.

Just as quickly the woman disappeared and returned with their order then bustled back around the other tables, busying herself.

Avril turned her head slightly to take in the couple to her left that was snogging so loudly and wildly, she wondered if they might suck each other's faces off! The tongue dancing continued on her right when suddenly they pulled away and the girl stared at them rudely.

"Sirius?" she asked looking at the aforementioned boy.

"Emma, hey," Sirius retorted darkly.

The girl looked at Avril indignantly, "Didn't realize you liked blonde," she said.

Avril tried not to laugh, "And you are?"

"Emma Stalker," the girl proudly tossing her brown locks over one shoulder.

"Excuse me you're what?" Avril asked wondering if she had heard her wrong.

The boy she had been snogging snorted burying himself in his cup of tea as Sirius did the same.

"Emma Stalker," the girl pronounced each syllable as though Avril was stupid.

"Alright then," Avril fought the laughter that was rising in her throat at the tongue dancer.

"I didn't catch your name, what did you say it was?" the M-a-stalker asked.

"I didn't say," smirked the blonde that was Avril.

The girl looked more annoyed if anything and her nose rumpled in what she must have thought was cute manner and she smiled curtly.

"Sirius and I dated once," she said matter-of-factly.

"Really? I was under the impression that Sirius didn't date…at least until me," Avril smiled mocking the girl, rumpling her nose up.

"How lucky you must feel," she said sharply.

"I'm getting a head ache, can we leave now?" Avril asked Sirius who merely smiled and grabbed up Avril's bags.

"What's a matter don't like being told the truth?" Emma asked rather pleased with herself.

"How about you do us all a few favors _Stalker_. One, learn to kiss properly; there is nothing sexy about swapping spit _outside_ of your mouths. Two, it's called a breath mint, take one before you start talking to people and three I want you to lean over and put your mouth and your nose in your tea cup and drown yourself!" said Avril in the most cheerful tone possible.

Sirius and Avril stepped outside back into the falling snow laughing aloud as they made their way to The Three Broomsticks. Already inside was Lily, Hayden, Morgan, Remus, Peter and James laughing and squabbling at a table in the back going through their bags from Honeydukes and other shops.

"Hey you two, we were gonna send out a search party!" James grinned moving over to give them room.

"Sorry, we ran into a Stalker along the way," Sirius replied throwing the Marauders into fits of laughter.

"Oh, god not her!" Remus laughed.

"Who?" asked Hayden.

"Emma Stalker," he replied. "Her name sounds like she's calling herself a stalker."

Morgan rolled her eyes, "She such a rude bitch!" she retorted.

"Avril told her to drown herself in her tea cup," Sirius chuckled retelling the tale.

"Death by tea cup. What a noble way to go!" James laughed saluting the air.

Peter followed suit after his friend, but with the opposite hand, "She won't be missed!" he laughed as the other's did.

"I think we should shove her into a vanishing cabinet," smirked Morgan, tying back her red hair that had once been originally blonde.

"And hope she get stuck in between?" asked Hayden.

"Sounds like a plan!" James retorted.

"What's so bad about her?" asked Lily.

"Let's just say she lives up to her name," Remus replied while he unwrapped a chocolate frog, pausing to look at the card that came with it.

"She blackmailed Padfoot to go on a couple of dates with her," Peter retorted peeking into his own Honeydukes bag full of sweets.

"That's terrible," Lily said.

"I gargled with Listerine for a week!" cried out Sirius.

Avril chuckled, "Did she make you tongue dance with her?"

James snorted as Sirius pretended to throw up, "Please don't remind me!" the teen said holding his throat.

"Let's just say the way it ended was better then what could have happened," Peter said munching on a piece of red lickerish.

"Tried to blackmail him to shag her after she got tired of the dates," James said shuttering.

"That's disgusting!" said Lily putting down her butterbeer.

"Tell me about it! I choose half a year of detention instead!" Sirius replied.

"She even tried to say Padfoot had done something to her," interjected Peter before he took a swig of his butterbeer.

"What?" Hayden said.

"That's ridiculous!" Lily snapped.

"No, that one's for boggart's!" James joked as he smiled broadly.

Lily laughed and playfully hit his shoulder, "Oh, be quiet you!"

"And she had the nerve to tell Avril you two had dated?" Lily continued.

Sirius nodded his head as he looked into Avril's Honeydukes bag and pulled out a long jelly worm, his hand was slapped lightly making him to put it back and dig for the one in his own bag.

"Do you two want anything?" Madame Rosmerta asked from behind the bar.

"Fire Whiskey!" Avril smiled.

"Nice try you!" Rosmerta laughed wiggling her finger at the teenager. "Gotta be seventeen!"

"Butterbeer," Sirius answered. "Eight!"

"Getting us round, ay?" James asked.

"Yeah I'm the best mate in the world!" Sirius said very sarcastically. "Pay up you bums!"

"You're not good for anything," smiled Remus.

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Sirius and Avril had said good-bye to their friends that left to be with their families over the holidays only a few days before Christmas and surprisingly the two weren't the only Gryffindor's to stay. There was actually more than a good dozen that had decided to stay which was mostly similar seventh years that were going to study for N.E.W.T's over the holidays. The school was rather crowded with loads of fifth and seventh years that were studying for testing to come that term. Avril like Sirius was too lazy to study for the upcoming test quite yet and the two had laid about the common room, leaning against one another as people filed in and out from the portrait hole.

"So do I get to open my presents?" asked Avril the day of the Christmas Ball.

Sirius shook his head, "Nope."

Avril pouted, "Why not? It's Christmas! I should have opened it in the morning, why wait until after the Ball?"

"Cuz I said," replied Sirius from his dorm room as he dug through his wardrobe fishing for his dress robes that were buried in the very back collecting dust.

"Well you're no fair!" Avril said sitting plopping down his bed.

"Yeah that's me," he mumbled trying to yank out the black zipped bag that held his target.

Sirius wiggled suddenly in laughter as Avril's fingers glided up his sides tickling him.

"Hey shouldn't I be the one doing that?" Sirius laughed trying to pull away from her touch.

"Yeah that's me," she mockingly teased, letting her fingers roam else were.

"Be careful what you start," laughed Sirius giving up his endeavor to get away from his girlfriend who was tickling him unmercifully.

Avril cried out as Sirius attacked her, tickling her sides and stomach while the girl back away attempting to escape.

"No stop!" she laughed pushing Sirius' hands away, though she was twice his strength she wasn't really fighting.

Avril collapse onto his bed that he had cornered her against, her legs kicked in the air as her boyfriend continued to tickle her making tears run down her face from laughter.

"No, Sirius stop! Please stop!" she begged still laughing and Sirius yielded with a grin since he lay onto the bed with her.

The girl sighed softly wrapping her arms loosely about his neck, her fingers grazed up and down his back slowly as his smile faded and he stared at her rather in a trance, when his lips pressed against hers tenderly.

He pulled away slightly and said, "You never were one for soft kisses were you?"

She bit her bottom lip gently before a smile broke across her face as she shook her head faintly.

"I think we should try these kinds for awhile," Sirius smiled warmly, fingers trailing down her sides; kneading her hips fondly.

"I don't know," she said slowly with a grin.

"You'd be surprised," he whispered kissing her lips skillfully again, but not before he gently trailed kisses along her jaw line and down her neck. "How much affection can be shown in one like that…my devotion, adoring, warmth and compassion going into one kiss."

Avril stretched out pulling her nails lightly up his back causing him to give out a faint growl as his lips kissed tenderly over the tops of her covered and clothed breasts and down to her stomach, where he pushed up her shirt to expose her skin that he kissed as well. The girl's finger curled under the teens chin lifting his head up from him downward progression.

"My lips are up here," she said touching her lips slightly and Sirius chuckled.

"Can't get away with anything can I?" he asked teasingly as he crawled back up her body, pressing his lips against hers abrasively, pushing his tongue into her mouth deftly.

Sirius' hand that rested against her bare stomach nimbly ran up her side, disappearing under the cover of her shirt as his fingers--- there was a sudden knock at his door.

"Hey, Sirius?" came a guys voice through the wood.

Sirius' head collapsed against Avril's shoulder as his fingers were simply inches from their destination.

"Yes?" he said slowly.

"It's Bedford. You seen Potter?" the voice filtered through the door.

"Which one?" Sirius asked irritably.

"Avril," Bedford said.

"Yeah," said the black haired teen slowly again.

"Well where is she? I need to borrow her Arithmancy book! She and I are the only ones left that take the class and I can't find mine," Bedford retorted heatedly.

"She's in here with me," Sirius answered.

There was silence on the other side of the door.

"Oh."

"I'll give it to you Bedford," Avril replied getting up to Sirius' dismay while the boy shook his head madly.

Avril rolled her eyes and opened the door disappearing for several minutes that turned to an hour as Sirius gave pulling his dress robes out of his closet another try.

"Oi! I thought we were snogging?" Sirius asked coming down to the common room finally to find Avril curled up on the couch with a book.

"Sorry got sidetracked," mumbled the girl who continued to read despite Sirius sitting down next to her and kissing her neck thoroughly.

Sirius gave up.

"Sorry," she mumbled again, her nose in her book.

"It's okay. I'll just have to find another girl to snog," he replied flashing one of his trademark smiles.

Avril looked up from her book and couldn't help but smile back playfully hitting him on the head with her book.

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Sirius surveyed couples joining together in the entrance hall as he waited for Avril rather nervous for some reason that certainly wasn't his style. Shaking off the odd feeling, he turned in time to see his date making her way down the stairs in a sky blue satin dress. The sweet heart neckline strapless gown had the perfect flattering bust line that let Sirius' imagination wonder, with perfect boning and a delicate criss cross pattern at the front. The body hugging silhouette endowed an air of confidence about her that she always had, as it carried a cascading front pleat and a billowing hemline. She simply looked outstanding in the utterly delicate, sophisticated dress with a soft train trailing behind.

Avril paused her onward progression besides Sirius who gave her a slow look over from her cascading black curls lifted from the back of her neck as several large curls were draped over one shoulder to her open toed thin strapped heels. She had charmed her hair back to its proper color.

"You look beautiful," Sirius smiled offering her his arm, only exposing only about ten percent of his charms.

Avril couldn't help but laugh, "I was going for that!"

Sirius continued to smile, but said nothing as he lead his girlfriend into the Great Hall that with its enchanted ceiling that rained snow that melted just above their heads. Silver, white, soft reds and green hues covered the Great Hall in brilliance of color as the Hall appeared full already with its three white and silver Christmas trees behind the band that played softly on the stairs the lead up to where the staff table use to be. Several girls like Avril wore muggle evening gowns, though all the guys gave the impression to be in dress robes of black, grey and white. Avril observed Sirius out of the corner of her eye and cursed him for still being taller than her even when in heels! The girl had noticed that Sirius had grown since summer and he even looked to be shaving as she could see subtle traces of stubble while her blue eyes swept over him; she fell in love with his dress robes that were lightly pinstriped the same as the wizarding suit beneath with his white shirt and crème colored buttons. The teen pondered unbuttoning them to see the muscled torso beneath as his black hair that was slightly shoulder length since the start of term brushed against his collar causing Sirius to bat at his neck catching Avril staring at him as they walked with a shameless impious expression upon her face--- he had seen that look before.

Letting a smirk grace his lips he said nothing as she continued to gaze while he sat them down at a table with a group of Hufflepuffs that he had befriended back in his third year.

"Avril," he called softly leaning in a bit to whisper to her as the music played.

The girl seemed to snap out of her trance, "What?" she asked hurriedly feeling his warm, sweet breath against her temple.

"Are you having wicked thoughts about me?" he whispered in her ear, sending a warm shiver down her spine.

Flustered she blushed deeply for the first time since Sirius had met her and she gave out a quick 'no' that wasn't too convincing coupled with her reaction.

"You were!" Sirius smiled warmly. "I actually got you to blush."

"What?" demanded Avril slapping her hands over her cheeks. "I am not blushing…I don't blush, I can't!"

Farther it went like her friend and crept over the tops of her breasts that Sirius could see and he grinned broadly in the most handsome way only he seemed capable of, or at least models and actors were only privy to doing. His soft breath played at her temple, cascading down her neck in a sweet scent and Avril closed her eyes in an endeavor to restrain her thoughts that threatened to spill out of her mouth at the same time as she felt his fingers intertwine with her own in her lap; his thumb caressing her skin gently. Sirius turned on all his charms now that he knew--- Avril wasn't immune to his appeal, allure and charisma --- she was only good at pretending to be.

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**  
_PREVIEW OF CHAPTER 25_**

_Deep breathes, deep breathes is all one could manage at the mangled scene before them. James paced back and forth, Sirius buried his head in his hands trying to stifle his tears while a girl sobbed. Peter ran to find the one person he knew could help. No one could know--- no one._

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_  
A/N: I'm tired so my author notes are gonna be brief. If you caught what Avril said somewhere at the beginning of the chapter your good! Remus and Hayden make me laugh, but then again they are my favorite couple in the story despite the fact it's a Sirius/Avril one. Those two are giving me some trouble. Avril's dress is an actual dress from some…dress store. I can't remember._

_This chapter was close to 6,000 word count without author notes and title. _

_- I own the plot, any OC's, non canon spells & odd ends you might find._

_- The next chapter is gonna have a bit of a flood from this one because I meandered but not as much as one might think!_


	25. Bite to Break Skin

_A/N: Sorry this chapter took so long. I got stuck on something's though other's poured out of me easier than the rest. Haha. I'm going to aim for over six thousand words a chapter from now on with this story just so I don't feel restricted and end up with more chapters than I expected. They maybe long on your end, so… _

_I can't whip out six thousand that quickly. Like I said I get stuck on something's so it takes some time which mean's it'll be a bit of a wait until the next one._

_This chapter hasn't gone through my beta reader Rufi yet. I'll replace with the edited version later in like...three weeks. (Reading HPDH. gotta enjoy it and read slowly) _

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**  
Chapter 25 - Bite to Break Skin**

Christmas passed without any incidents or life threatening problems and the students returned from their holiday. Peter, Remus and James bum rushed Sirius as he and Avril lay on the velvet dark blue couch in front of a blazing fire. Sirius' fingers fiddled with a bit of the end of his girlfriend's hair as she lay atop him, Avril listening to the teen's steady heartbeat as they started to fall into slumber.

"Well don't you two look comfy," James said, taking a seat in one of the chairs next to the fireplace.

Avril shifted a bit, the soft clinking of the golden charm bracelet around her wrist sounded in a soft melody. Stretching a tad she turned her head away from the intruders, snuggling her face against Sirius' chest, the softness of his sweater comforting. Sirius didn't move to indicate he had even noticed his mates who watched the exhibition of snuggling with contempt.

"I think I'm gonna be sick," James retorted, after some time.

"You're not the only one," Hayden said, taking a seat on the floor, leaning against Remus' legs as he had taken the other empty overstuffed armchair across from James.

"Are they asleep?" Lily asked, sitting on the floor with Peter as she set down the bags of gifts she had to give to her friend's still.

"No," Peter chuckled. "Sirius' has got a hold of her hair."

Avril huffed, "We're trying to sleep here, if you don't mind," she said.

"You could have slept in your room if you didn't want people bothering you," Peter replied brightly.

"Ew!" Hayden said, sticking her tongue out as James hit his mate on his head.

"Why didn't I think of that?" Sirius said, dryly as he shifted a bit beneath Avril who buried her face against his neck, taking in his scent.

"Don't give Padfoot ideas," Remus said, as he leaned back into his chair.

"Did you two already give each other your presents?" asked Lily.

Avril stuck her hand out with the golden charm bracelet attached to her wrist, the small gold items clinking together softly. There were several charms on the bracelet already; one was a paw print with ingrained text in simple form that read: Padfoot, while the others had similar ingrained text in the gold charms that were a stag, mouse and wolf that read: Prongs, Moony and Wormtail.

"That's so cute!" Lily said, looking at the small charms.

"What did she get you, Padfoot?" Remus asked.

"Some books," Sirius replied, with a mysterious smile.

"What kind of books?" Peter asked.

"One is called, _Pranks through the Ages: The Brilliant, Good, Bad, and the Ugly Volume One._ And the other one is _Pranks through the Ages: Things That Should be Done and Those That Are Just Lame Volume Two_. The second one just came out!" Sirius chuckled.

"Sweet!" James cheered; already one could see the cogs working in his head.

Lily's lips pierced together in a thin line watching the teen.

"Nothing else?" Peter asked digging into his own bag pulling out some surprisingly well wrapped gifts.

"Well…," Sirius trailed off, licking his lips with a smirk. "Got a really big thick set."

"Are you being vague for a reason or just trying to be cool?" retorted Hayden in annoyance.

Sirius snickered as he felt Avril bury her face back against his neck and her lips brushed against his skin.

"Loads of pictures---," the black haired teen was cut off.

"You definitely need a good picture book mate," James laughed as did the others.

Sirius smiled and said, "It's called, _The Full Karma Sutra_."

Lily's face instantly flared a bright red and Remus choked as he drew in a breath, it going down the wrong pipe as one might say.

"What's that?" asked James inquisitively.

Hayden burst out into laughter and frightened several first years that were still in the common room late that night as Peter and James shared curious looks.

"It's about sexual positions!" Hayden blurted out as tears streamed down her face.

Peter got wide eyed while James looked rather flustered.

"Well it's more than that, but hey!" the silver-white haired girl said between laughs.

"Yeah I'm gonna be sick," James said while he got up and soon disappeared up the stairs into the boys dorms.

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Morgan watched her friend's avoid one another for several weeks after the discovery that Sirius now had such a book in his possession. The black haired teen had on several occasions tried to show the books contents to his mates, who scuttled out of the way quickly enough, knowing that Sirius might try and divulge unwanted information upon them. Morgan shook her head at lunch that day as she grabbed a handful of barbeque potato chips out of a large clear bowl. It didn't take long for Lily and Hayden to take a seat beside her and shove large quantities of hotdogs, chips, turkey and several other things on the table for lunch that day onto their plates. The blonde decided not to ask about it, and went back to her meal a tad hungry herself.

James strolled into the Great Hall for lunch, his chest puffed out. Today was the day that he'd ask Lily Evans out and she'd say 'yes', he just knew it! He had been good all term, hadn't even picked on Snivellus yet that year. On numerous points in time had James caught Lily looking at him once or twice with a rather innocent expression upon her face that seemed mixed with confusion--- maybe she wanted him to ask her out? At least those were James' thoughts. When on routine checks of the corridors, they had developed to a more polite manner than they had been in, considering they were actually calling each other by their first names instead of their last names, and they had even been able to hold a proper conversation on their patrols without it ending in questions of, why did he enjoy people's misery (which he'd defend that he didn't) or why was she being rather high nosed about it all (which she swore that she wasn't). Today was the day, he just knew it!

Taking a seat across from Hayden, Remus nudged her foot with his own gently giving her a smile, while he hoped to get one back. Hayden's head popped up and she smiled brightly nudging him back a little as the sunlight play over their skin from the enchanted ceiling above. The blue skies showed nothing but a good day ahead as birds flew past over head. Remus wondered briefly if they were really there at all, but instead merely an illusion made by the enchanted ceiling and upon which he decided that they had to be real, he returned to his meal with a smile. That day one should have been outside, to lie out in the grass under the warmth of the sun and the sandy haired youth sighed in the knowledge that he didn't have any free periods after lunch; simply class upon class, upon class. Maybe he'd skip a lesson and get Hayden to go with him to sit out by the lake and listen to the world around them in silence--- with a bit snogging in between maybe…

Lily was beyond tired already at lunch and she thanked Merlin she had a free period right afterwards that she planned to use wisely--- to sleep. Their DADA class had been a bit hard that afternoon; getting put under the _Imperius Curse _and having to try and fight against it on several tries was tiring. James, Sirius and Remus seemed rather fine at the end of the lesson; then again they weren't the ones that were fighting so hard against it that they fell right over a desk after jumping on it as commanded. Her side was killing her! Despite the fact that James had rushed to her side, helping her up, his kindness hadn't made the pain that shot up her side any better. All the over exertions had made her starving! Soon enough Lily noticed James drawing near with his chest puffed out looking a tad bit serious as he came up to her and tucked in a seat beside her.

"Hello Lily," James said, at the same time as he smiled rather brightly suddenly in a cheerful mood.

"'ello," Lily tried to say; though her speech was muffled by the banana-nut bread she crammed in her mouth seconds ago. She hoped she wouldn't spit any on him or that he'd laugh at her chipmunk cheeks.

"Lily I want to ask you something quite serious," he replied, not bursting out into hysterics at his crushes chipmunk cheeks.

Lily attempted to swallow down the bread as she nodded her head, giving signal to ask away.

"I'd like to say we've gotten to know each other better over the term so far," James ran his fingers through his hair unconsciously. "And I want you to know I'm serious about what I'm about to ask."

"Okay," mumbled the red head, having finally been able to get down the banana-nut bread.

"_You'd think he was proposing,"_ Remus thought while a smile played at the corner of his lips.

James took a deep breath as though his question was hard to ask and he said, "Lily, will you go out with me?"

Lily smiled softly and brushed her hair over her shoulder quickly while she gave her head a nod.

"Sure," she said.

Hayden froze in mid-spoon of a jelly like substance going into her mouth. Remus and Morgan looked rather shocked, though attempted their best to hide it.

James didn't look fazed; despite he's lips slipping into a wide grin of great pleasure.

"Alright then!" he said, trying to keep his happy energy-high-emotions to himself.

Still Lily smiled even as she went back to her plate to finish her lunch in a slow manner, not wanting to imitate a chipmunk again especially in front of James.

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Laughter broke out across the stairwell as three of the Marauders' ascended into the Shrieking Shack that night through the tunnel the Whopping Willow provided. They had been caught up in one of the corridors when Filches cat, Mrs. Norris sniffed attentively at their position against the wall, hidden beneath the invisibility cloak. James had been tempted to kick the cat cross the hall, but was unfortunately stopped when Filch himself came walking around the corner. His cat flying defiantly would have raised suspicion.

The moon was high in the night sky already and they had heard their friend's familiar howls of pain as he turned into the thing he feared most. Changed into their animagus forms, James waited for Peter to crawl onto his back and up into his antlers like he always did, holding on with his small rat claws. Sirius attempted to push the door open, when a scream over took their ears unlike Remus' familiar scratchy cry. Panic hit hard, and Sirius slammed his large, dog body against the door that slammed open to show something none had hoped for. Bloody seeped across the slightly dusty floor, the floor boards soaking it up greedily as the cry died out in a gargle of blood and spit.

The wolf stood before them, his once brown eyes wild amber that his friend's had not seen in a few weeks and blood dripped from his mouth, seeping onto the floor in generous amounts from his victim. His teeth still were roughly imbedded in their neck and shoulder while he growled precariously as though the person was to be his mid-night snack, which he did not want taken from him. Sirius lunged forward, jowls quivering as his sharp teeth showed menacingly, snapping at the Wolf who had dropped the body with a soft 'THUMP' against the flooring. Black and sandy brown fur collided as teeth ripped into flesh, their own blood splattered across the gouged walling. Peter's squeaked out a cry and jumped from James' high antlers when the stag muffled out a noise the rat understand. Barking erupted from both genus of dog while they clawed at one another with both nail and tooth. Quickly the rat jumped and hurried his way between the paws of his friend's that now were short lived enemies to the placid body upon the floor. James could do nothing; he couldn't try and help Sirius due to the small size of the room and the possibility that he might accidently stomp on the person, killing them if they weren't dead already.

Peter squeaked out a response to the stag who seemed to wither at the realization of who lay upon the floor. Quickly he told Peter to get help and without needing to be told twice, the rat shot under James and past the door. Changing once outside, the teen ran as fast as he could, the wind rushing into his lungs burned in the cold January night. Squeezing through the loosely changed gates, he speeded into the castle and came to a skidding halt as he ran right into Lily Evans.

"Peter?" Lily asked sticking her wand up a bit higher to catch is face in the light. "What were you doing outside of the castle this late at night?"

Peter tried to tell her, but his breath came in rigid drawls. "James…"

"Is James out there as well? Why are you panting so hard, what happened?" Lily questioned. "James and I were support to be on duty together tonight, but he never showed up!"

"We need help," Peter had finally found his voice, controlling his breathing better. "Remus attacked someone."

"What do you mean attacked?" asked Lily as her face paled a bit.

"Werewolf," Peter whispered, and all of the color ran from Lily's face in an instant.

"Remus…are you saying Remus is a…" Lily couldn't bring herself to finish her words; it was too unbelievable.

"Need help! He attacked someone!" Peter said a bit louder as he wrung his hands together.

Lily could feel her body shaking as the horrific images flooded into her mind. "Oh--- okay. Dumbledore!" she said turning quickly, leading Peter down the hallway in a run for the one person that could help.

"No!" Peter cried out as they rounded the corner and the Gargoyles that guarded the hidden stairs, came into view. "If we tell him, he'll kick Remus out of Hogwarts!"

"That doesn't matter right now, Peter!" Lily cried out, her voice having lost all its previous valediction as it fell to panic. "Acid Pops!"

The Gargoyles jumped out of the way and Lily took the rotating stairs two at a time until she was finally at the closed wooden doors of the Headmasters office and her fists began to pound upon the wood in a hurried fashion. Scuffling could be heard from within the room as a voice muttered something Lily couldn't catch and the door swung open to reveal a sleepy looking Headmaster; his half moon spectacles precariously upon his nose as he looked over them to the two teens.

"Ms. Evans and Mr. Pettigrew, what seems to be the problem?" he asked softly taking in their worried and frightened expressions.

"Remus attacked Hayden Fredericks!" Peter blurted out loudly, his voice up several octaves.

"Hayden?" Lily gasped, having not known until that very second.

Dumbledore seemed no longer sleepy and his eyes that had only seconds ago looked glazed over and cloudy were suddenly piercing blue. In his nightgown of blue and black, covered in silver stars flared past them when he himself hurried down the stairs two at a time, Peter and Lily following behind.

"You're positive of this?" he asked turning upon them.

"Yes!" Peter cried out. "I saw it with my own eyes!"

Dumbledore set his sights on Lily. "Ms. Evans wake Professor McGonagall up and tell her everything that has transpired. Mr. Pettigrew, go to Madam Pomfrey and tell her to _immediately_ come to the Shrieking Shack!" he said looking to Peter briefly before he was gone in a flurry of silver and blue down the hallway.

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Blood still wet upon the floor while Remus lay unconscious near the bed, beneath the full moon, his wounds were healing of their own accord rather nicely as he had been knocked unconscious by James, who slammed his best mate against the wall, nearly impaling him upon his antlers. Sirius and James covered in their own cuts and bruises had leaned over Hayden's body, changed out of their animagus forms and tried to stop the bleeding in any form possible; it had proven difficult as they feared it would. Sirius rocked himself gently seeing that he sat on the ripped and now blood stained Queen Anne backless couch, his hands covered in blood that more than half was not his own. His fingers ran through his hair nervously, his wand disguarded at his side. James paced back and forth, not knowing what else to do as he listened unknowingly to Sirius' struggle to stifle his tears. The untidy, black haired teen himself was covered in blood that wasn't his, the two having made an effort to simply put pressure upon the wound where healing spells had failed to work on the Werewolf bite. Her blood had seeped through the cloth of their robes they ripped off to fight back the never ending stream; it had been then that they broke out into hysterical laughter that turned to weeping when her wounds had started to heal themselves a bit slowly. The genetic virus already mutating her DNA and changing her cell structure, the virus rapidly multiplying like a factory; the DNA being recombined in large quantities.

James wondered if she felt any pain as she lay unconscious on the floor he paced back and forth on. Abruptly the footsteps on the creaking stairs alerted the two who looked up just as Dumbledore swept in, his long white beard hanging over his shoulder at the speed he had been traveling. James felt his heart jump at the sight and Sirius hadn't moved at the sight of the Headmaster who quickly took in the mangled scene before him. His blue eyes swept over to Remus' sleeping form on the floor, as his sandy furred side rose and fell with easy. He could wake up any minute now.

Suddenly more footsteps could be heard and McGonagall, followed by Lily, Peter and Madam Pomfrey rushed into the room. Lily let out a garbled cry at the sight of blood pooled about Hayden's body and she turned, muffling her sobs into Peter's shirt who himself shook greatly. Sirius was still as stone and James had stopped his pacing, his hazel eyes grazing over Lily's form as she wept before he caught sight of McGonagall's shaking hand pressed against her own lips to stop her cry from slipping.

James opened his mouth to speak, but nothing came out.

"This is not the place," Dumbledore said softly and leaned over picking up Hayden's body with what appeared to be ease and carried her out of the room.

"You two," McGonagall practically whispered her eyes upon the Wolf as she spoke to Sirius and James.

Both teens followed obediently, Sirius limping more so as his leg was in pain. Though the disease didn't transfer to him through his animagus form, his cuts and bruises did oddly enough.

Instead of leaving the shack, Dumbledore lead them to the next room built within the place as he lay Hayden's limp body upon another torn up couch. Madam Pomfrey quickly worked over her, her hands reaching deep in her black bag full of potions and such as she cleaned the wounds as best as she might. Her and Dumbledore forcing Potions down the girls' throat that was unconscious.

James felt McGonagall's hand gently on his shoulder as she pushed Sirius and him down onto a similar couch pressed against the wall. James had expected her to question them, to ask why they were up here, what had happened and how had they managed to get the Wolf subdued--- but the questions never came. McGonagall pulled Lily against her thin form, letting the girl cry upon her shoulder who sobbed for her friend, their worst fears that she'd pass away in the night cropping up as Hayden practically showed no signs of life for the exception of her shallow, slow breathing.

No one knew how long they all stayed in the room, as Lily's cries had died away ages ago and the girl now sat on the ripped and shredded couch between Sirius and James. Her head rested against James' shoulder while she refused to sleep despite the fact her crying had made her tired as it might have anyone. Madam Pomfrey still worked over Hayden whilst Dumbledore stood over the girl watching the work; helping when he could when a familiar howl ripped through the air.

"Oh my god!" Lily breathed shooting up, looking at the closed door.

"He's changing back," Sirius said, speaking for the first time.

Everyone, including Dumbledore looked out the window to see that the moon was setting back under the horizon which meant; early morning was soon to come with its crisp, cold and dew wet dawn. More cries ripped through the air while thrashing could be heard in the room only a thin wall away. Lily seized James' arm in a death grip as the howling got worse and the sickening snap of bones could be heard.

"Why did she come up here?" Sirius asked, as he looked at Hayden's form that was suddenly so very fragile to him. "She knew he was dangerous!"

James felt himself snap. "SHE DIDN'T KNOW! SHE THOUGHT HE WAS ON THE WOLFSBANE! IT'S NOT HER FAULT DAMNIT!" he shouted above the screams.

Dumbledore, McGonagall, Peter and Lily watched the boys with mixed expressions upon their faces.

"WHY DIDN'T AVRIL MAKE IT?" Sirius cried out, his fist shaking. "IF SHE HAD JUST FORGOTTEN ABOUT HER RUDDY CHARMS HOMEWORK NONE OF THIS WOULD HAVE HAPPENED!"

"DON'T YOU DARE BLAME MY SISTER YOU BASTARD!" James roared shooting up off the couch. "SHE TOLD REMUS THAT SHE COULDN'T GET THE POTIONS INGREDIENTS!"

"THAT'S ENOUGH!" Dumbledore shouted and the four teens jumped in sudden surprise as anger crossed the older man's face but briefly and James collapsed back onto the couch.

Sirius buried his face into his hands and shortly following, ran his fingers through his hair.

"No one is to blame," the Headmaster said, more calmly. "Something tragic has happened and you are blaming people? You must imagine what these two will feel like when they realize what has happened. Mr. Lupin will undoubtedly blame himself and Ms. Fredericks will more than likely do the same," Dumbledore straightened himself out, pushing his half-moon spectacles up the bridge of his nose a tad before clasping his hands in front of him.

"Ms. Evan's I want you to go wake Ms. Potter and wait in my office until I return. Professor McGonagall will accompany you," Lily nodded her head and headed for the door that McGonagall followed her out of shortly. "Mr. Pettigrew, Mr. Black and Mr. Potter, you will go into the other room and explain everything slowly _and_ properly to Mr. Lupin. Upon which is concluded you four will go to my office and wait for me as well. Understood?"

The three said nothing, but merely shuffled out of the room, closing the door behind them as the screams of pain stopped abruptly and other cries set in of panic and fear.

Remus heard his friend's down the hall as they made their way into the room, one by one filing in, covered and caked in blood. The only one that wasn't, was Peter.

"What happened?" demanded Remus shakily as he peered down at the blood on his hands.

James said nothing as he walked to the four-poster and yanked off its sheets draping it over his friend's shoulders, covering his shaking form. Remus made to stand, holding the sheet about his waist tightly as his knuckles turned translucent white. Blood was everywhere, splattered across the walls and in large pooling puddles on the floor--- what had happened?

"Did I…did I…you three look…look okay…," Remus struggled to bring the foggy memory to surface.

"Moony sit down," Peter said, pushing one of the shredded chairs to him.

Obediently, Remus sat down ignoring the pain that shot up his back and the several bruises about his skin. He may have healed well as a Werewolf, but unfortunately it was much slower time as a human.

"Was it…did I attack another person?" Remus asked, his voice barely a whisper.

James opened his mouth to speak, but for the second time that early morning nothing came out.

"Moony it was an accident. We don't know why…we…" Sirius stuttered a bit, shifting his feet. "The three of us were caught up in the castle by Mrs. Norris and…we were a little late getting up here."

"Just spit it out!" Remus spat abruptly.

"You attacked…you bit Hayden," Peter stumbled over his words.

The three teens watched Remus' already pale face turn stark white in comparison. "...Alive?" he mumbled

"Dumbledore and Pomfrey are working on her now in the next room," James blurted out in an attempt to comfort his best mate.

Remus shot up, darting across the room, slipping slightly on the puddles of blood that had his mind screaming in wonder. How much blood a human body could hold? His feet left trails of red as he dashed down the hair, James and the others calling for him to stop as he slammed open the door that frightened Madame Pomfrey a great deal for she jumped a good foot off the ground. Dumbledore on the other hand, merely stood, his back to the window at the head of the couch Hayden lay on as pale as her attacker, his eyes upon the boy in silence.

"Hayden…," the teen trembled, standing unmoving at the door for fear that if he approached her, she might fade into nothing.

"Mr. Lupin…everything is going to be alright. I need you to go back to your dorm and put on a fresh set of robes before the students start to wake. You and the other's are going to be dismissed from all your classes today and---" Remus crumpled to the floor abruptly.

"Moony!" Sirius, Peter and James cried out together, rushing to their friend's aid.

Normally if the situation hadn't been so grave, one might have found it funny that the young man had fainted--- no one laughed as it was most certainly normal to black out at sight of such a severe incident.

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Dumbledore talked to the teens in his office, minus that of Remus, for the boy was still unconscious and laying in the hospital wing of the school beside Hayden's sleeping form. The Headmaster listened carefully to the children's words, to Avril's explanation through her tears that cascaded down her face and to James, Sirius and Peter's details of what they did every full moon. By the time everything was explained, the bell for the first class of the day rang down the corridors and Dumbledore took a deep breath, he felt as though he had been holding the whole time. Quietly he nodded his head, saying nothing, rather proud of his students for acting so courageously to learn to become animagus so very young in life to keep their friend company and help him through his difficult full moons. For how quickly they acted to save the girl's life, for finding the courage to come to him instead of trying to rectify the problem themselves and for trying their best to help their friend keep his sanity during those nights.

Rising from his chair, the Headmaster guided them out of the office and to the Hospital wing of the school. The huddle of students feared to look in on Hayden, for fear of the damage the Wolf might of left. Tears burst forth over Avril cheeks when she looked down at her long time friend who was uncharacteristically pale, her tan skin swallow and dark circles beneath her eyes. Lily began to cry herself and the two girl's held on about each other as their sobs racked higher, echoing in the stale air against the marble floored room.

Sirius peered down at his shoes that were caked red at the same time as he dug his toe into the marble flooring, watching the red color crumble and crack. Shaking his foot softly, red flakes fell to the floor while pieces simply floated down to join the rest while his reflection peered back up at him off of the ridiculously clean floor in an almost ridiculing manner. His grey eyes had dark circles rimmed beneath them and his face looked a tad hallow as though he had not eaten in days despite the fact only a few hours had pasted.

Peter watched the white-silver haired girl's steady, swallow breathing. Her chest falling and rising with each breath taken and he wondered if she'd make it through the transformation next full moon. Would Remus be there with her or would his best mate do something drastic in his despair and self loathing? The boy could only hope his friend wouldn't, but when it came to Remus, nothing was sure and nothing was clear. Would he still be at Hogwarts after all this had been cleared up? Peter wouldn't be surprised if they all would get expelled from Hogwarts, or if Remus was shunned away for something he did unknowingly.

What would happen to his Remus--- and what would happen to the girl that was now of his own kind?

Sighing softly, James slowly took a seat on the empty bed beside Hayden's own, the large white curtain drawn around the three beds awkwardly to kind them from any suspicious eyes that might be lurking in the Hospital wing. Dumbledore could be heard near Madam Pomfrey office as they walked in low whispers, James only catching 'family', 'grandfather' and something else that sounded garbled into nonsense. Lily and Avril collapsed on the bed beside him as did Peter and Sirius who all looked solemn and in terrible need of a long soak in the bathtub to try and wash away last night's images from their minds. In spite of this, James knew the image of Hayden's lifeless like body limp in the Wolfs jaws, blood seeping onto the floor would forever be ingrain in his mind--- and at the back of his eyelids when he slept for at least several months.

Shouldering herself against Sirius, Avril looked up to his eyes to see that he was no longer there, but that he seemed to be far from her reach as he stared off into the distance at nothing in particular. His black hair matted slightly to the side of his face and blood still caked dryly to his neck and arms. The girl knew Pomfrey would demand to look at his wounds as well after hearing that he had fought Remus off, sustaining injuries himself, the same as her brother whose arm had been bleeding from an large gash he had gotten in his animagus form. She was secretly thankful that the disease could not be transferred to animals or Wizards when in their animagus forms and she felt guilty suddenly for such thoughts as her best friend lay only a foot or two away now sharing the same disease as her sandy haired boyfriend.

Thoughts ran amuck in Lily's head when abruptly there was a loud crashing and the group of teens turned simultaneously to see several people stumble out of the fireplace in Madam Pomfrey's office followed by an older looking woman with a panic stricken face that might have normally been beautiful, but the fear she held on her features contorted her beauty. A rush of questions splurged forth and Avril gave a small cry and Sirius thought to ask who they were when the familiar faces of the twins Wyatt and Nick rushed instantly into view as they were the first to dart past them and to their little sisters side. Grief contorted over their face while emotions at conflict fought against one another. James took in Hayden's family as they rushed into the room one by one until only a much older looking man was left behind at Dumbledore's side talking with him calmly in a foreign language.

"Cole move, now. We all want to see how she's doing," the older woman said softly, pulling on the young man who had wrapped himself about his sister's shoulder.

The man moved despite the fact he had not wanted to let go of his little sister who looked very pale and almost as breakable as glass to him now. Sirius took in the man's appearance for his similar untidy black hair was like his best mates while a faint scar elongated over the bridge of his nose showed briefly in the light streaming through the glass windows.

Suddenly James felt someone shaking his hand with both of theirs and the teen glanced up to see a slightly balding man at least in his late sixties smiling softly despite the grim expression set on his face. The laugh lines evident at the corners of his eyes and mouth shallow in what James believed to be their normal appearance. His hands were calloused and felt rough as he continued to shake his hand gently.

"Albus tells me that it was you and Black that kept her from…from bleeding out," the man seemed to fight just to say the words.

James shook his head while he felt Nick and Wyatt's eyes upon his face. He didn't want praise.

"No, please thank you," the man said, grabbing up Sirius hand as well shaking it. "I'm Hayden's father."

Sirius wanted to snatch his hand away from the man. What did he do to deserve his praise, his thanks?

"This is her mother and you know the twins. Ah, this large leech is her oldest brother Cole," Mr. Fredericks said, attempting some kind of conversation in spite of the matter at hand.

"Is that him?" Cole asked, suddenly catching sight of Remus' sleeping form on the bed behind him.

"We do not blame Remus for this," Mrs. Fredericks stated fiercely.

"Bullocks!" Cole growled. "You may not, but---"

"Blood hell just shut up, Cole!" Wyatt or was it Nick said. "Lupin would never hurt Hayden on purpose! Are you going to start blaming grandpa for the things he did under the moon when he didn't have Wolfsbane?"

"What?" Lily spilled out in question. "Your grandfathers a Werewolf?"

"Yes I am," a voice spoke from behind them, forcing the teens to turn to catch sight of the elderly man who had to be older than Dumbledore, but stood just as clearly healthy as the Headmaster did.

His short grey and white streaked beard fell only to the middle of his chest, compared to Dumbledore's, whose went nearly to his stomach. The dark green robes he wore reflected his dark blue eyes magnificently while his stark white hair was pulled into a ponytail at the base of his neck. Had he been wearing half moon spectacles one would have thought of him as an older version of the Headmaster.

"That's why you hate Italians isn't it grandpa?" the other twin asked ,with a small smile, his black hair pulled back in a similar style to his grandfathers.

"Yup. Nasty way to teach a lesson that is," the older Mr. Fredericks replied, while he took up the seat Dumbledore offered him at the foot of his granddaughter's bed. "Just because I fancied his mate. Had no idea what she was of course, unlike Hayden here."

"Remus said she took it all in a tad too easily," Avril said, suddenly speaking up. "I had no clue…"

"Of course she would," Mrs. Fredericks replied indignantly. "She was around her grandfather all the time during the full moon! I don't see why she'd fear Remus."

"She was always worried I'd get lonely, so she'd stay with me if I had the Wolfsbane all that week of course," the older man said, tipping back in his chair a bit.

"That explains why she went…but she knew we would be there…" Sirius trailed off, staring down at the marble flooring again.

"That wouldn't matter to her. She never liked to rely on other people, so she tried to becoming one herself. A reliable person that is," the older gentlemen replied. "It wouldn't have mattered if you had been there before her or not, she still would have gone."

"I don't understand," Lily interjected abruptly. "Were your children born before you were bitten?"

The older Fredericks man laughed suddenly and tipped his chair back a tad farther. "Oh no! I was bitten when I was just a lad. About the age you are now to tell the truth. Had Marius here _years_ later!" he said, jabbing a thumb at the slightly balding man whose freckled cheeks stood out when the sunlight hit him warmly. "Merlin must have liked me, because the disease was dormant in him. Transferred yes, but dormant mind you. Hasn't stood out in any of the others; Hayden's the only one those showed signs of the virus being a bit active."

"Her hair?" asked Peter, entering into the conversation.

"Oh no, no! She got that from my great grandmother! You know how a family can suddenly have a red headed child, but the whole families blonde? Just pasted over us is all." Mrs. Fredericks smiled weakly.

"What Mr. Fredericks is saying is that because it was already in her DNA, that's why she had started to heal a tad quicker than one would have if the virus was just starting to mutate her DNA," Dumbledore explained.

"Oh," Peter and Lily said together softly.

Abruptly; Hayden began to stir, her fingers wrapping about her brother's hand that held her own.

"Hayden---"_  
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A/N: What did you think? Was it okay? I'd like to think I'm okay with action scenes, but when I see it in my head it plays like a movie. Hahaha._

_- I own all OC's and the plot._


	26. A Tragedy in Progress

_A/N: This chapter is so far over due, I only ask that I don't get stoned. At first I was having trouble with it then I got sidetracked when I started to go over the entire story and edit it. Loads of red marks all over the pages. –Sighs- Nevertheless here it is._

_You also may have noticed that all my unfinished stories are on hold. They'll remain that way until I finish this story. I'd like to get this one out of the way before I work on the others anymore. Sorry. _

_DISCLAIMER: I don't own HP. I however own all OC's, creative spells & properties, and odd creatures that pop up. (I finally got my hands on Fantastical Beasts and Where to Find Them and so I can laugh and say I've got a creature that's a XXXXXX classification that Rowling never made! HAHA!)_

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Chapter 26 - A Tragedy in Progress**

Time passed slowly it seemed while Hayden stirred slightly in bed; her fingers tightening on Wyatt's own as the small group grew larger as her younger brother's were informed. It didn't take long for Madame Pomfrey to demand that Sirius and James get out of their bloody clothes, and without much thought they followed her directions; disappearing briefly behind more curtains to change into a fresh set of clothes that a House Elf brought from their trunks and closets. In spite of the fact that Hayden's eye lids fluttered and her fingers moved and squeezed her brother's, she still remained asleep, dreams coming as they may behind her closed lids.

Sirius took a fleeting look at the clock on the wall to find it read: 2:35 A.M. as he and Avril lay in one of the cots; the group easily overtaking half of the infirmary. Though it was delayed; Madame Pomfrey demanded that Hayden's family leave, and Dumbledore the one to suggest that they stay at the Three Broomsticks for the night, bearing in mind they could use the Floo Network to travel in the morning to see how their daughter was doing. Regardless of this Hayden's family had in an effort, attempted to complain, but in the end Dumbledore over ruled them. James and Sirius were permitted to stay so that Madame Pomfrey could examine their wounds; though she had also tried to kick out Lily, Peter, and Avril ----- but the three were already sound asleep. Still; Remus didn't wake up and Sirius mulled over the thought for a short time if his best mate wasn't stirring yet, simply because he was already awake, and merely lying there in contemplation.

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James yawned and looked over at his clock that ticked by the time and his eyes brought into focus the hanging about his four-poster. Gryffindor colors blared in red and yellow about the dorm room as he listened to Peter snore and spotted half of Sirius' legs stuck out from under the closed heavy, velvet drapes of his best mates bed, which before long disappeared out of sight; and Remus' soft whimpered dream as the Lycan lay dead to the world. It had been two weeks since the unpleasant incident back in January and Hayden looked no worse for the wear; (besides the obvious scaring she received from it) James couldn't help but guffaw at her overexcitement for the full moon to come. As Remus had frequently said when they were alone ----- 'Hayden is the "bouncy Lycan" and the new addition to my furry little problem'. In the face of what Remus said, James knew that the sandy blonde was in love with the 'bouncy Lycan', though he hadn't told her yet ----- at least while she was awake.

"_Hayden," James heard a soft whisper to his left; as he was in the closest cot to Hayden. "Hayden?" the whisper came again._

_James turned his head slightly to see through the partly open white curtain; his best mate was up, kneeling by Hayden's bed, his pale fingers wrapped about Hayden's own as she slept. A sigh escaped Remus' lips and he laid his forehead against the girl's shoulder and James could hear his mate's soft sobs and suddenly felt indecent for listening in on such an intimate scene. Turning his head slowly to face the opposite wall as not to startle Remus, the soft sobbing filtered through the slightly ajar curtain._

"_I'm so sorry," Remus said, barely audible. "I'm so very sorry…Hayden I…"_

_Unable to block out the teens words without literally sticking his fingers in his ears and singing la-la-la-la, all James could do was try and find something more interesting on the ceiling._

"_Hayden I…I love you," Remus whispered, his voice trembling. "I should have…I should have told you sooner! It shouldn't have taken something like this for me…for me to tell you!" Remus said giving the impression he was infuriated with himself. "I'm so sorry."_

* * *

___  
James had managed to doze off later that night when he suddenly heard Remus again that night._

_"__Hayden?"_

_"'__ello you," came Hayden's voice in a soft whisper._

___Despite the fact that the news that Hayden was awake and, alive and well overjoyed James beyond belief, he choose to remain still; simply listening to her gentle voice ---- though one might think he was eavesdropping ----- James wouldn't._

_"__Hayden ----- are…are you okay?" Remus questioned._

_"__What? This love bite?" Hayden joked feebly, for Remus burst out into controlled laughter that fell into sudden hysterically weeping. Regardless of her hushes and motherly tone, the sandy blonde sobbed, muffled into what must have been the sheets._

_"__Why?" Remus said suddenly. "Why did you go up there? Hayden why? I told you I wasn't…I wasn't always on Wolfsbane!"_

___Hayden joked again. "I thought you might be lonely without me."_

_"__This isn't funny!" Remus said a bit louder, and James could feel his mate's fury on the rise; Hayden could make somebody see red that much was for sure._

___The girl sighed and paused briefly before she said, "Remus this isn't your fault. It was my own stupidity for believing you might be on the Wolfsbane. I…I don't' know why I just didn't ask; I guess I didn't believe that you'd hurt me if you weren't on it. I was stupid."_

_"__Stupid isn't the word I was thinking of...," Remus trailed off and Hayden chortled._

_"__Oh, something along the lines of dim-witted, daft, ludicrous or foolish?" the girl inquired with a soft smile James knew that had more than likely graced her features._

_"__Brainless," replied Remus simply._

___Hayden laughed quietly. "At least if you look at it this way ----- you'll never be lonely."_

_"__I wasn't lonely."_

_"__Liar."_

_"__I wasn't."_

_"__Yeah sure; be in denial."_

_"__What is there to be in denial about?"_

_"__That you were terribly lonely and since I graced you with my wonderful presence you'd just die without me forever in your life, of course!"_

_"__You're laughable."_

_"__And I love you."_

___The banter stopped there and seemed to leave Remus temporarily speechless._

_"__Did…is this what you wanted?" he asked bluntly. "To be like me? It's not all foolish escapades and adventures under the moonlight. There's nothing romantic about what I---"_

_"__No," she snapped suddenly. "Why would I find being shunned by society romantic? To have my body feel like it was lit on fire every full moon when I'd transform?" she demanded._

_"__I'm sorry; I just-----," Remus stammered._

_"__You what Lupin? Thought I'd find it terribly romantic to have my boyfriend rip my throat out and then sit back and have a ruddy good laugh about it!" Hayden's voice rose. "I wanted you…I wanted you…I…I wanted you to know I wasn't afraid of you. That you didn't have to…hide yourself from me because you thought you were a…a monster!" she suddenly sobbed._

___James heard and felt the sudden rush of air and ruffle of bed sheets as she gave the impression to have pulled them up about her or possibly over her head._

_"__I shouldn't have said that," said Remus and the sheets ruffled again; Hayden beneath them sobbing softly. "I just wish that… I guess no matter how much I wish it won't change that's happened."_

_"__No," came Hayden sob._

_"…__Right."_

_"__You're not going to do anything…foolish are you?" Hayden asked abruptly._

_"__Foolish?" asked Remus curiously._

_"__You know; like killing yourself or jumping into the lake with the squid. Chopping off some limb in retribution," said Hayden._

___James listened to his friend chuckle despite it all. "No, no cutting of limbs," he said._

_"__Good," replied the girl. "Because I like my men whole."_

_"__Your men, huh?" asked the sandy haired boy with an air of laughter._

_"__Oh yes; you belong to me now. The scar proves it as so."_

_"__Then shouldn't I have it instead?"_

___Hayden sniggered before she said, "Believe me when I say you'll be repaid in full!"_

Sirius snorted as he and James watched Hayden ----- a Gryffindor scarf wrapped about her neck ----- bound down the stairs completely happy with herself and the day as it seemed; heading for the Great Hall for breakfast that fine Wednesday morning. Peter and the others could tell that Remus was grateful it was January, which usually meant that nearly all of the students would be wrapped in scarves due to the castles less then tropical climate. If there was anything that changed about Hayden since the attack, it was that she had become an early riser; Dumbledore himself having commented on how Hayden seemed to have a new and improved outlook on life. She and Remus were practically inseparable now, especially since he gave her a rather small and sparse leaflet of a book about Lycan's. She had loads of questions and Remus was usually bombarded with them at lunch or dinner; not that the teen appeared to mind.

"Remus some pages missing," Hayden said that night at dinner; drawing the attention of James.

"Ah, what?" asked Remus innocently, not looking at the book.

"Pages; there are pages missing," she answered, flipping through the sheets of parchment. "It goes from page twenty-five to page thirty. Where are the pages?"

James heard Sirius snicker; they both had a feeling what the missing pages were about.

"They're a… they're in my room," the other Lycan answered.

Hayden looked puzzled. "Well can I have them please?" she asked.

Remus seemed to ponder the question for a moment before saying, "Ah; no."

"How is she supposed to learn about it all if you're taking pages out of the book?" asked Lily, entering into the conversation, looking baffled. "She can't always ask her grandfather."

"Prongs, Padfoot please back me up," Remus said, rubbing at his temples.

"Sorry Moony; I've got to agree with my girlfriend here," James said, rather happy he could now call Lily such.

"And I've no clue what you're talking about," Sirius said, annihilating his mash potato fortress he had made.

"Traitors," Remus mumbled.

"Oh, just give it up," Avril replied. "Might as well tell her!"

Remus slumped in defeat. "They're about Lycan mating," he muttered.

Peter snickered as did James and Sirius. Lily garbled something incoherently as Avril and Hayden laughed.

"So what?" Hayden asked. "Do we get horny before the full moon or something?"

Remus choked on his pumpkin juice, while James shook his head trying to keep his laughter to a minimum.

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Without much warning February trickled down upon them and Avril found herself tip toeing down into the dungeons with her brother's Invisibility Cloak over her as to hid her whereabouts'; though the vampire secretly wished Peter and Sirius hadn't lost their infamous Marauder's Map to Filch end of sixth year. She didn't like unforeseen run-ins with Peeves; especially him! Like a ghost she made her way past the Potion Master's deserted classroom and she trudged down the well-known beaten path she had taken every night after dinner, start of term, for her detentions. Around the bend she went, past a large rug of Bondius the Magnificent in his terry cloth robe, sleeping soundly against the edge of his portrait, and down the stairs with their dreaded seventh step that she jumped over. Deeper and deeper into the castle she journeyed, until she was back in the memorable stone pillared hall way of the lowest most dungeon corridor with its chipping brick and foul stenches from the unused classrooms with their ancient exploded potions even now on the walls.

Avril gazed at the narrow, unlit flight of stairs that gave the impression that they traveled down even deeper than she considered. The set of steps she had discovered during her first detention shared with Sirius and their peeling of the walls crusted and decaying potion mixtures. She had been dying to check it out, but had been incapable to these past few months; what with either McGonagall surveying over her or Mrs. Norris prowling about all the time. Tonight was the night that she would see what was down there; what had been catching her intrigue and stroking her curiosity.

"_Lumos_," she mumbled, and her wand flooded the narrow, stone staircase that winded about the corner.

Stuffing the Invisibility Cloak in her pocket she watched her footing; trekked down the spiral stairs and she traveled for what felt like hours until finally she lost count of the stairs at about five hundred. Finally the end came into sight and her wands light spilled across a long hallway, whose ceilings rose loftily like a cathedral; towering far above her head. Damaged and worn looking brick flagged the walls, floors and even up the arcs of the ceiling. Unexpectedly flames roared to life directly ahead of Avril, giving her a slight scare. She had forgotten some of the castles rooms would light upon entrance; still it was rather creepy and added to the odd foreboding feeling that weighted heavy on her stomach.

"_Nox_," the girl mumbled.

Pressing onwards, her foots steps softly echoed off the walls as she padded through wall and its flooring that was covered in ancient dirt and grime, over the its less than active use, over the centuries. It looked as though not a living soul had been down there for years ----- unless you counted the rats. Avril speculated if Sirius and the others had ever found this corridor and she couldn't help but think that they hadn't; unless of course they had covered their tracks well. All the same, the times she had seen the Marauder's Map she had never spotted this corridor on it ----- that in itself odd. Onwards and forwards she pressed, fingers held firmly about her wand as bits of fear crept up her spine and the hair at the base of her neck stood to attention. Still she continued regardless of the idiosyncrasy of her stomach doing flip flops as she went. Ahead; flames played across the wall and lit up the ceiling, and for but a brief moment Avril could have sworn she saw a figure of a man flicker across the wall. If her heart worked properly it would have been beating rather soundly and profusely in fear against her rib cage, and one might have been able to hear it outside of her body.

At last she reached the very end of hall where the strange shadow had materialized. The hallway that turned only to her left forced an idea to formulate into her mind.

"_Occaecocorpus!_" Avril said, and abruptly her body faded from existence.

The jinx Avril had made for her first Defense Against the Dark Arts assignment; got top marks for it to boot. It was much better than an Invisibility Cloak for the simple fact someone couldn't just reach out and grab it off of you; though the one down side to the spell was the fact that if another person was using it at the same time as you were ----- you could see each other.

As she made her way down the new corridor; without warning, brusquely the hallway gave way to show a rather large room with several ferrous looking statues of a Gargoyle, Centaur, Witch, and Wizard alike; huddled about an inactive water fountain, full of self importance. It faintly reminded the girl of the statue in the Ministry of Magic. White marbled and red patterned floor led to a tremendously tall staircase with; what was even odder ----- two Muggle philosophers at the end of the railing on either side. The space itself looked like a Greek State room with its high stone white pillars that arched to hold up the ceiling.

Avril pondered if it was alright to pass the statues at the stairs base; would they see her? It was one thing to think that statues wouldn't come to life as a Muggle, but it was another when you knew they could and possibly would as a Witch. Holding her breath (not that she needed to) her trainers made no noise across the marble flooring while she approached the stairs. Cautiously and watching the statues she placed her foot onto the first stair ----- nothing happened. Softly breathing a sigh of relief, Avril climbed up the stairs and soon found she was gazing over the edge of a balcony just in front of her at the top of the stairs. There below her; an open chamber lie with a single chair sitting in its midst. Avril's eyebrows furrowed together as she speculated what might have taken place there. Forcing it from her mind, still filling the soft tug of curiosity, the black haired teen made her way about the upper circle that seemed to be there only to over look on the proceeding that might have gone on in the open room below.

"_Appareo_," Avril said, and her voice carried in the corridor, and her body manifested as though it was the wind; taking a form. The windy vapor of her form filled out until she seemed to be solid again.

Blue eyes peered back into the darkly lit hallway across the opposite end of upper circle for the flames of the torches glowed only so slightly there, and Avril quickly and hesitantly lit her wand again glancing back at the statues that stayed as still as stone.

"How far does this go?" Avril wondered aloud while she passed by several heavy laden doors as the hallway continued to progress with its Greek styled architecture.

"_Pretty far_," a voice suddenly answered.

Avril cried out, slamming against the wall farthest from the voice that had echoed about the corridor.

"Who ----- who's there?" she asked.

The voice chuckled. "_No one in particular. Just a ----- lonely ----- prisoner_."

"Prisoner?" Avril asked before she could stop herself.

"_What's a _vampire_ like you doing down here?_" the voice questioned and Avril found herself shaking terribly.

"I…I don't know what you're talking about," the girl said, finding herself unable to stop; unable to even move.

The disembodied voice cackled. "_I know exactly what you are_," it hissed. "_Why not be a mate and let a fellow out?_"

Avril whimpered softly as she said, "Yeah; right."

Quickly with the realization that her curiosity had led her too astray, Avril attempted to turn around, but found she was unable to. Her legs felt heavy and weighed down; fixed to the ground as though a Permanent Sticking Charming had been cast. Struggling, the teen wrapped her arms about the nearest stone pillar and tried to break her feet from the floor ----- nothing happened; although Avril wasn't in all honesty pulling with all her muscle for fear the column would fall to pieces and crash about her triggering the entire room to collapse.

"_Got a little too close to me I'm afraid and your minds a bit too weak to fight me off like Dumbledore can_," the voice chuckled menacingly. "_Now…let me out_," it said as though an order instead of a request, and Avril felt her body react of its own accord.

Feet scuffled across marble flooring as hands reached out; fingers curling about the heavy wooden doors chains that unexpectedly writhed and squirmed beneath her touch. With great intensity the chains were wrenched from the door, and they crumpled into ash about the teen's feet. Still the girl struggle against herself; unwilling to cry out for help.

"_That's it_," the voice urged.

Slender, long fingers rounded about the door, similar to the chains heavily rusted, scarlet, circular door handle ----- and she began to pull.

"No!" Avril growled abruptly, as tears pleated down her cheeks. Her mind no longer in control of her body.

"_Yes!_" the voice snarled. "_Harder; pull harder!_"

All of a sudden blood splattered across the wall as the spells engrained and bound in the door, keeping it locked, lashed out whipping its disparagement about her face and Avril found it hard to see what she was doing any longer. In a dirge of cried agony, her fingers continued to wrench at the door as it held spellbound, but still the enchantments thrashed and belted out at her, and an abrupt scream of triumph filled her ears at the same time as it resonated vociferously off the walls.

"_FREE! I'M FREE AT LAST!_" the voice screamed in jubilation. The door crash against the wall and, split and splintered under the violent blow.

Through red and light hues, Avril watched the hall fill with such darkness she no longer could see the torches soft light or feel their warmth as horror, fear and the sudden feeling of death; lay over her skin. The worst feeling she never thought possible filled every fiber of her being ----- the feeling as though she'd be eaten alive. Her body crumpled to the floor in terror as her hands covered her head trying her best, though feeble, to hid herself from view.

"_And you!_" the voice spoke out from the darkness as two large, blood red, orbs floated into existence a mere few feet from her.

"Please ----- please no!" she whimpered as the sensation of horror she had never felt before eroded away at her body.

The voice laughed aloud this time. "_I'm starving…but you…you I'll shall use_," it hissed as a dual voice rang into its mixture.

"No; no please, no!" Avril cowered refusing to look up for fear of what she might see.

When no response came, the teen with trepidation opened her eyes and could only see the torches light playing softly across the floor and feel its warmth yet again. Where had the creature gone? What happened? Lifting her head, Avril peered about the passage to see nothing but the light at the end of it to the open room below the balcony. Slowly lifting herself from the floor with apprehension, Avril looked about still at unease of where the creature had gone and fear implored her to run, while her mind said the empty corridor gave the impression of being far too easy to escape. Seizing her wand from the floor, Avril rushed out of the hallway as hastily as possible. Dashing about the upper circle a earsplitting scream ricocheted and Avril realized all too late that it was from her that the cry had originated; as the wave of paralyzing fear washed over her yet again. This was worse than a Dementor ----- far worse.

"_You're mine_," dual voices crackled.

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Sirius was rather grateful for the weekends to tell the truth and though it was by and large due to the fact that he slept in until noon, (despite James jumping on his bed to wake him) it was because he planned to spend most of it with James, Remus and Peter strategizing what to do for Hayden's first full moon. Though it was February, the last full moon and the whole unpleasant incident had taken place at the very end of January ---- and plus ---- Remus was looking rather panicky as the new full moon was coming within reach (though that wasn't unusual).

Yawning, Lily stretched out as she sat with James and the others in the Great Hall that afternoon. The girl briefly wondered where Avril had vanished to, seeing that she was usually the first one of their friend's in the Great Hall for lunch; even on a weekend.

"I wonder where Avril is," Lily voiced aloud.

"She was sleeping when I looked in on her," Hayden replied trying to tug the last page of the Lycan mating cycle out of Remus' pocket. In spite of everything the teenager attempted to hide it from his girlfriend and had succeeded over the month, but Hayden had caught him stuffing it in his jean pocket that afternoon after she had made an effort to get it from his room that morning.

"Bloody hell; no Hayden, there's nothing on this ----- this page!" Remus said while he struggled to pull the thick parchment from her grasp without ripping it.

"Just give it to me, you ----- you arse!" Hayden growled angrily.

"No!" Remus retorted, yanking it back.

"What's so ruddy embarrassing on this page that she can't have it?" Peter asked, snickering.

Remus suddenly went beat red. "Nothing!" he lied.

"Sure," James and Sirius said in unison, grinning malevolently.

"There's nothing on it!" Remus insisted, losing sight of his efforts temporarily and in that briefly moment Hayden managed to seize the parchment from his grasp. "Damnit!" he said.

Sirius and the others laughed at the same time as Hayden's eyes inspected the page.

"There's nothing on here!" Hayden uttered; to the others speculation. "There's only im-----," the girl abruptly gasped and slapped her hand on top of her mouth when her eyes finally took in the leaf for what it was.

James kept an eye on his Lycan friend who started to turn beat red and soon watched him bury face in his arms on the table top.

"What's the matter?" Lily asked, trying to sneak a quick look over the table at the piece of parchment.

"Nothing!" Hayden exclaimed, pressing the parchment to her chest as though it was a vital part of her anatomy. "This is never happening!" she stated, staring at her boyfriend.

"I'd never ask you to," Remus' voice filtered through.

"You better not!" Hayden snarled. "_Ever_."

Remus lifted his head and looked at her. "Never?" he inquired, an eyebrow elevated.

Hayden went red in the face. "Remus John Lupin!" she said enraged.

Quickly Remus put his hands up in apology. "Okay, okay; never ----- I got it!"

"What's so bad that it's got Moony blushing?" Sirius asked, stretching his hand over the table to get hold of the leaflet of parchment from Hayden.

Remus growled at the same time as he said, "I _don't _blush, Padfoot."

Hayden swiftly snatched the parchment from Sirius' grasp; thrusted it underneath her shirt and what appeared to Sirius, in her bra.

"Don't even think about it," the white-haired-teen scowled.

"You know; I've no problem putting my hands in there," Sirius teased, flexing his fingers while he stood up a bit to reach over the table; but Remus' slender fingers suddenly wrapped tightly about Sirius' wrist.

"Don't," Remus replied softly.

James and Peter snickered. "Blimey, Moony. Getting territorial?" James asked grinning broadly and Remus released his best mates' wrist.

Remus' eyebrows arched. "Reckon I can stick my hand down Lily's shirt then?"

James stopped his laughter and Sirius started up. "No thank you," James replied putting a protective arm about Lily's shoulders as the girl rolled her eyes.

"Boys," Hayden and Lily said in unison laughing.

Lunch continued on rather slowly as the group of friend's laughed merrily about different things here and there. Scoffing at one another when abruptly there was a noise at the entrance of the Great Hall and heads turned to see a girl had slammed into the door in a drunken matter; wiping her mouth on the back of her hand. Several chortles rose from the various tables.

"My bad," her voice called out with laughter.

"Avril?" Sirius exclaimed chuckling.

More than a few wolf whistles rippled out amongst the crowd as Avril was for some reason in her school uniform minus that of her black Hogwarts robes. Her skirt was quite a few inches too short, her white shirt had numerous buttons undone from the top, revealing the black lace bra she wore while her black hair looked mussed as though she had just awoken and came down stairs without thought. Further catcall and wolf whistles issued from the tables and to her friend's shock the girl sauntered her hips in the midst of them and struck a suggestive pose.

"Avril," Hayden said in disbelief. Her friend would never have the nerve to do that ----- ever.

The girl continued to ignore them as she started to pass by them, winking at various boys and girls alike.

"Avril!" Sirius yelled to gather her undivided attention.

Gradually the girl turned about and looked at him with an arched eyebrow that climbed higher at the same time as shallow ocean blue eyes scanned over his body. Slowly drawing breath through her teeth, she licked her lips. "Why ----- hello," she mumbled to herself, smiling brightly; her fangs gleamed under the light that filtered through the windows. The young woman leisurely looked from her left, then slowly to her right, as though checking to make sure he was addressing her. Gazing back at him from the corner of her eye she pointed a finger at herself.

"Yes; you," Sirius replied slowly as though speaking to a five-year-old.

Avril suddenly burst into quite laughter. "Haha. Of course _me_; because _my _name is Avril ----- right."

Remus and the others stared at their friend in disbelief.

"Why don't you sit down," Remus replied and James moved over, giving her room to sit down between him and Sirius.

Sitting herself down between James and Sirius, Avril grinned broadly, resting her chin in her hand as she stared at Sirius; her eyes full of the same lust Sirius had seen once or twice in their relationship over the past year ----- but something else swirled in the brilliant blue orbs ----- something Sirius couldn't place.

"Not that I don't mind the new look," Sirius began, "but don't you think, that people are…ah…seeing a little too much?"

Avril looked down at her chest briefly before she chuckled. "You don't like it? I sort of got the impression that clothes were a ----- _priority _here," she smirked.

Peter giggled as Remus snorted. "Yeah I'd say so," the sandy blonde laughed.

Avril eyes darted over to him and her head swiveled slowly as her eyes ran from the Remus to Hayden who sat side-by-side as though taking them in for the first time.

"Werewolves," she mumbled, playing her fingers against her lips.

"What did you say?" Remus asked, not catching it.

An abrupt smile played at the corners of her mouth. "Oh; nothing…nothing at all."

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Things only got more abnormally curious over the weekend as Sirius had caught a glimpse of Avril chatting with Severus Snape at numerous junctures; the two deep in tête-à-tête as though old childhood friends. Sirius could have sworn under oath; also one too many times had he seen her snickering with Lucius Malfoy; throwing her head back in laughter at something the enormous prat had said of amusement. Little did he know; consequently things would only get more bizarre.

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A/N: What an annoying chapter! I wanted to kick its ass! Nonetheless it's done and I'm happy, because I'm going to have way too much fun with the next one. Hope you enjoy the chapter! Reviews are always appreciated!_

_****__READ THIS!__: What I want the reader to understand is that when I wrote Avril's new, odd personality; she's talking and doing hand expressions like Captain Jack Sparrow. Lol. As though she's completely out of it, but knows exactly what she's doing…or appears to. Haha._


	27. I'm Sorry!

**Author Notes (its best to read this)**

**WARNING: this chapter of AN's will get deleted when the story is updated so watch out for the new chapter. **

I know this really isn't allowed, but it's the only way I knew to let all the readers of this story know that it's not dead! I'm just in the midst of rewriting the whole thing! Xx

I'm editing and fixing and turning things about that should have been done in the first edit of the story, but I didn't have anyone to bounce my ideas off of until now that I've a beta reader in action! (Different one this time) I'm only up to chapter 9 and I'm sending it off to her as I rewrite/fix each chapter so it's taking a while I'm sorry!

I'll try to get them off to her faster, but I've got to go through all the chapters, find my errors (which means loads of red marks all across my screen), adding new scenes and filling out the story properly, cutting down on some of the melodrama and angst. Keep the OC real, keep the canon as canon as possible in the process and try and keep the timeline right so that when I start to rework the sequel it will make the sense that I need it to.

I do and have reposted the rewrite of the story chapters here at FF [dot net, but am uploading the story to harrypotterfanfiction [dot com, as I get it back from Ripley (beta reader).

I'm afraid the next chapter won't be uploaded here at FF for quite some time…at least a month or so depending on how fast we both work. Like anyone, I get distracted by my other fandom's and stories though this story is my main target!! It's not like I plan the ending to change, because it won't, but things needed to be fixed. Lol.

So…THE STORY IS NOT DEAD…just…really late in updating. You'll probably find out faster at harrypotterfanfiction [dot com to how fast it's getting pumped out…(links in my profile) plus you might want to read the story again to catch the changes cuz there are loads! –winks-

PadfootStripQuidditch


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